


Truly, Madly

by faemalenomad



Series: Memory is a fleeting moment [2]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Marauders, Next Gen, OotP, Sequel, time-travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 34,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23258692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faemalenomad/pseuds/faemalenomad
Summary: People react differently to stress. Some overeat, some overreact. Some release accidental magic. Lily Luna Potter has a nasty habit of falling through time. Now she has to face the consequences of her actions in the past. Set during OotP Lily/Sirius Sequel to Memory is a Fleeting Moment
Relationships: Sirius Black/Lily Luna Potter
Series: Memory is a fleeting moment [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1672378
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36





	1. Dépaysement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dépaysement – The unsteady feeling you get when you are away from your home country or away from your origin in general.

_January, 2043_

Lily Luna Potter was thirty-five when she had finally finalized her divorce.

It wasn't that she was terribly upset by the whole ordeal, really she was relieved. She had a good deal going on to keep her occupied, and she didn't need to think about Lysander. She had her job at the Department of Mysteries, her large and chaotic extended family, and her brothers to keep her from thinking about him.

But that didn't make it hurt any less. Losing Lysander was like losing a part of her. He was her best friend, and now...she felt like she didn't know him at all. And she had never felt so alone.

She stepped out of the solicitor's office, opening her umbrella to head into the rain.

Suddenly, Lily felt her cell phone and checked her messages.

_Hey Lulu, how did it go?_

Lily shook her head. It was her brother, Jamie. She had never liked the name Lily Luna as a little girl, so the family called her Lulu. Despite her change of heart, the name stuck.

_About as well as could be expected. He showed up with that woman. No new demands for more alimony though, so that's a relief. We just signed the papers_

She knew she shouldn't have been so honest when she kept staring at the three dots hovering in response on his end of the conversation. Jamie was more of a one sentence bloke. It seems he was typing a paragraph, but thought better about sending it.

_Good. You're better off without him. Meet me at the Leaky for a drink?_

Lily quickly texted back.

_Too public. I don't want anyone to see us. Can't deal with people trying to get a selfie with you._

A reply quickly followed. 

_Not my fault your brother is too dashing for his own good._

_Oh shut up. I'm heading to Grimmauld to see Dad. Meet you there?_

Another reply. Jamie was fast.

 _Sure, I have to have this meeting with my dev team and I'll be right over_.

Lily put her phone back in the pocket of her coat and apparated to Grimmauld Place. None of them had it easy being the children of famous Quidditch Star Ginny Weasley and the savior himself, Harry Potter. They were privileged, wanting for nothing with a loving family, but the pressure of living up to that legacy could be crippling. Al practically drove himself insane during his teenage years, and Jamie locked himself away in his room, tinkering. Jamie always has a knack for gadgets, even worked on a few prototypes for Uncle George in the joke shop before patenting his own. By 2020, he'd developed the first smartphones that were powered by magic, and microprocessors that were amplified by magical frequencies rather than short circuit in their presence. In the next five years, he brought the Wizarding World kicking and screaming into the digital age. As for Lily, she supposed she was content becoming part of the faceless who worked in the shadows, and moving back in with her parents.

As she stared at the steps of her childhood home, she quickly walked up and knocked on the door. To her surprise, her father greeted her.

"Dad!" She squealed, wrapping him into a hug.

"Hello, Lulu dear. Glad to see you too. The worst is over, isn't it?" He gave her a sympathetic smile that only made her feel sheepish.

Lily chuckled, "And then some."

"You look dreadful, are you getting enough sleep lately?" Harry asked.

"Is Jamie here yet?" Lily deflected.

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I wasn't aware we'd be graced by the digital wizkid this afternoon."

Lily gave a wry grin. "I think he prefers the term _technomage_ " They laughed.

Lily took off her coat as Harry waved his wand, the teapot floating back into the kitchen to collect more hot water. Papers were strewn about the drawing room floor and a massive cork board with pins and string was propped against the couch.

"Any breakthrough on the case?" Lily asked. "Or are you just redecorating?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Very funny. But I think there's something I can't quite put my finger on. Some of the traces of magic we've found are decades old, but they look recent."

"Perhaps someone stole Aunt Hermione's time turner?" Lily asked.

Harry shook his head. "Impossible, after that fiasco it's under constant surveillance. Do you think you'd be able to give me your professional opinion on these? Off the record of course."

Lily tensed. "Dad, you know I can't."

"Even as an order from the Head Auror?"

"DoM secrets take higher precedence. But, I can see what I can do." She took a look at the files. "Traces of Dark Magic, and the Priori Incantatem lists they were from a long time ago?"

"During the Second War, around 1996 specifically." Harry clarified.

"That was when you and the others went to the Ministry and…"

"Yes," Harry replied tersely. "You don't think that could have had any interference?"

Lily shook her head. "Unlikely. I'd need to be at the scene myself to get a better idea of what we're dealing with. Time magic is tricky, you know."

"It's not somewhere I'd want you to go," Harry protested.

"That makes me want to go even more. I'll be fine," Lily replied. Harry sighed, and with a flick of his wand retrieved their coats. He grabbed her hand and apparated them to a burnt out crater that was the remains of a chip shop in Edinburgh.

"This Muggle business was a front for a black market potions ingredients depot. It was a well-known spot for low level Death Eaters to meet during the war, but hasn't been as active since...until now."

Lily was startled. "I've been here before."

Harry turned to look at her curiously. "When?"

"During my schooldays. The chip shop, not the sketchy potions place in the back. I didn't even know it was there."

The last time she was here was during one of her episodes.

Accidental magic was common enough among witches and wizards. Accidental time travel, or the other hand, was only something Lily Luna had the rare misfortune to experience. Sometimes, when she was overwhelmed, she found herself displaced. It could be months or years away from where she was before. Her first trip was twenty minutes into the past when she was four years old. It wasn't long after she was traveling back centuries. However, she always came back to her own time with everyone none the wiser. Only she would remember what had changed. And so she stayed, unnoticed among her family and traveling against her own will.

The last time she was here was in 1975. She was sitting outside this shop in a sequined jumpsuit, eating burnt chips with Sirius Black. He had hated her at the time, but even then she knew she loved him. But now he's dead. He had been for almost fifty years. Don't think about him.

Lily circled around, casting diagnostic charms. "There's nothing wrong with the readings. The person who cast this came from 1995. The question remains if they're still here."

She thought about Sirius's laughter. He had been so carefree, so young. Honestly it had been strange, seeing all of the Marauders in person, but it had been even more so to see the person who would grow up to be the man her father had spoken about so highly in his stories of the past. She wanted to know more about him, about all of them, and in the process fell in love with him despite herself. It had been the longest she'd stayed in any time period, a full year, though to this day she didn't know why. In her years researching her ability at the Department of Mysteries, she had only come so far. She had found a deeper understanding of time travel as her sole purpose- at the cost of her marriage. Perhaps if she hadn't spent so much time working, Lysander wouldn't have found comfort in someone else…

"Lulu?"

Lily could feel the familiar sensation of a tingling in her fingertips as her body started to dissolve. Oh no. She was beginning to have another episode, in front of her father no less.

Lily closed her eyes and tried to stay focused on where she was and the current date, but it was no use. She was going to fall back in time again, unsure when she'd land.

She heard her father scream out her name before her vision went black.


	2. Erklärungsnot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erklärungsnot- the state of quickly having to explain yourself

When Lily landed, she felt the thud as she hit the ground. She picked herself up and took in her surroundings. She was at some point the the twentieth century, judging from the cars. All boxy and square.The air was filled with the smell of smoke and petrol, and grease from the chips. It was still the same street corner in Edinburgh, and Lily noticed that there were a few men loitering outside the back. One of them tapped the door with their wand. Lily was about to follow them inside when one turned his head, staring straight at her. Quickly, she lifted the collar of her coat over her face and found a newspaper stand. She bought a copy of the Times and stared at the date.

July 25, 1996

Lily pursed her lips. Blast. She was stuck in the middle of the war. Sighing, she wondered how long she’d be stuck here. Walking a safe distance, she apparated to Diagon Alley to see if her old Gringotts account was still active. She was going to need to make some arrangements.

Lily rented a small flat in Hoxton, and set about writing a note to Albus. She didn’t know if he’d still be willing to help her after all the favours she’d asked, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

Albus responded promptly, sending one of the school owls, and asked her to come up to Hogwarts to discuss the situation.

“Back again, Lulu?” Albus asked as she entered his office that afternoon. “A pleasant surprise, if unexpected.”

Lily gave an amused smile. “I wish it was in better circumstances. You look well. Older.”

“One tends to do that,” he replied flatly. “Sherbert lemon?” He offered her a crystal basin of the sweets. “Not as good as those Muggle sweets you had brought with you…”

She pulled out a packet of tangerine sour Altoids. “I’m running out of my supply, but I might have one or two left.”

Albus’s eyes glimmered, but he paused. “Perhaps later. I’ve found myself a little less inclined to indulge these days. I’m sure you are aware of current events?”

“Is this a rather oblique way of fishing for information on the future?” Lily asked.

Albus looked amused. “Do you have such a low opinion of me?”

“I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to know, especially now. But I can’t do that. I didn’t last time either.” Lily replied, picking up a candy from the basin and popping it into her mouth. 

“In your letter, you told me you might need some assistance.”

Lily nodded. “Nothing too extreme. I can get by on my own, but if I ever get into a pickle with the law, if you could vouch for me I’d appreciate it.”

“I’m afraid the Ministry doesn’t look to favorably on me these days, but if I will try my best.” Albus replied.

Lily paused, biting into the hard candy before swallowing it. “Have they told you who they’re placing as the new Defense professor?”

“It seems they are intent on making me wait,” Albus sighed. 

“It’s Dolores Umbridge, the Undersecretary to the Minister.” Lily answered. “She is going to be a nightmare.”

“I’m aware of Miss Umbridge’s policies, but I have confidence we can work together.”

Lily sighed. “Oh come on Albus, it’s just me. And you know as well as I do they’re going to find any excuse to undermine you. And they’re going to succeed. I hope you have contingencies.”

Albus looked at her shrewdly. “I will keep that in mind.”

“And another thing, Harry Potter is going to be attacked by Dementors next week while he’s out with his Muggle cousin. You’ll need to have someone intervene so he doesn’t get summoned for underage magic.”

Albus was alarmed. “Summoned? It’s usually just a warning.”

“It’s a Patronus charm in the middle of Muggle Surrey, and it’s Harry Potter. Given his current vocal views on Voldemort…”

“We could probably expect a full Wizengamot, Fudge exercising his authority.” Dumbledore finished. He stood up. “I’m sure you will handle the situation with aplomb, as always.”

Lily raised her eyebrows. “Me? I can’t. I can’t be seen by him.”

“I’m sure Harry would be thrilled to meet another person who knew his parents. And you are the best candidate. Didn’t you say yourself your current wand was untraceable?”

That was true. The tree it was made from wouldn’t be cut until 2002. Ollivander didn’t even have it on record.

“I’ll do it, but you owe me one.” Lily relented.

“Excellent, I’ll inform Severus.”

“You can’t tell him! He hates me.” Lily objected.

“Severus is completely trustworthy, my dear.” Albus reassured her.

“That’s not what I’m worried about. I don’t want anyone I knew from back then knowing I’m here. I just don’t think it would be a good idea, to just walk back into their lives again.”

Albus placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m afraid it’s a bit too late for that. But you can hope for their forgiveness.”

Lily nodded. “Harry might be compromised, he can stay with me until the Weasleys are ready to collect him. The blood protection should hold.”

Albus nodded. “I’ll make sure to send for someone. Godspeed”

———————————————————————-  
Lily waited near a shrub by Number Four for ten minutes before the Dementors swooped in. She had a rather nosy neighbor ask her to state her business, to which she told to kindly shove off, she was having a smoke then she’d be on her way. She was about to have the cops called before she stunned them. 

She felt the icy chill on her skin and the piercing howl

She jumped towards the two boys. Dudley had already fallen to the ground, whimpering, while Harry was covering his face. The Dementors circled rapidly, ready to strike. 

“Expecto Patronum!” Lily screamed. A large silvery horse galloped out of her wand, neighing as it went into a cantor around the creatures, chasing them away. 

Harry stood up, trying to catch his breath. “Mum?” He asked, horrified. 

Lily shook her head. She offered her arm and lifted him up. She looked at Dudley’s condition. Dazed, and a sprained ankle, but nothing major. She quickly healed the ankle and escorted them to the house. 

“Harry, my name’s Louisa.” It was the closest name to her nickname, she always used it as a code name in the past. “I’m a friend of Dumbledore’s, and you’re going to have to stay with me a little while until you can stay with the Weasleys. I’ll talk to your aunt and uncle, please get your things.”

Harry looked like he was about to question her, but nodded and accepted it. She should have asked him to give her a security question but what would he ask? How could he trust her so easily, she was essentially kidnapping him!

Lily knocked on the door, which opened in a flurry. 

“Oh my poor Dudders! What happened?” 

The thin reedy woman, whom Lily guessed was Petunia, tightly hugged her son and kissed him. She looked up at Harry, and herself. She paled, and squinted her eyes. “May I ask who you are and what you are doing on my property?”

Lily coughed. “My name is Louisa Pruitt, I’m here to collect your nephew. If he could retrieve his things, we will be on our way.”

Petunia gave a sour look. “You’re one of those kinds aren’t you? Come in before the neighbors see you.”

Harry quickly ducked out as Petunia motioned for Lily to sit. 

“You look far too normal to be a witch.” Petunia remarked.

“Must be the trench coat,” Lily chuckled nervously. 

“I suppose we’ve never met before.” Petunia added, scrutinizing her.

“No, we have not.” Lily replied.

Harry stood outside the parlour with his trunk in hand. “I’m ready to go.”

Lily stood up.

“I remember now. Louisa. Are you that Louisa? You’d be about the same age. Lily couldn’t stand you. I can see why. I guess he had a type.”

Harry’s eyes widened.

Lily snickered. “I’m surprised she mentioned me at all. Or that you’d remember.”

“Knowing that there was someone could make perfect Lily jealous? How could I forget? Though I’m sure you were upset she ended up with that wretched husband of hers.” Petunia sneered.

Lily glared at her. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Come on Harry, we’re leaving.”

Lily grabbed Harry by the arm and slammed the door behind her.

“Is it true what Aunt Petunia said? You knew my mum?” Harry asked.

“In a way, yes.” They walked towards a secluded spot on the end of the street. “We went to school together in the same year, shared a dormitory.”

“So then you also knew my dad? Remus? Sirius?”

Lily smiled wistfully. “Yes, I knew them. And when we get back I can tell you everything you’d want to know. We’re going to Apparate back. Have you ever Side-alonged before?”

Harry winced. “It was awful.”

Lily nodded, lifting her wand. “It never gets easier, I promise.”


	3. Retrouvailles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Retrouvailles- the joy of seeing someone you haven’t in a long time

Lily woke up at seven o’clock the next morning and made a pot of tea. She had given Harry the bed and was willing to sleep on her couch for the time being. She wasn’t sure how she was going to keep her father occupied for the week or so until the Order came to pick him up. Should she even mention the Order? Probably not, it was a secret after all. 

Either way, they would be here soon enough - probably Tonks, Moody and Kingsley? She wasn’t sure. She’d never met Moody or Tonks, but it would be nice to see them in person- though she’d have to find a way to convince them to trust her. Hopefully Albus’s word was enough.

But she was going to have to be careful, this time she was going in blind. She’d changed things, and it could lead to unknown consequences. Hopefully, the change was for the better, Harry wouldn’t be in further trouble with the Ministry, but now he was going to be at a disadvantage in terms of knowing how to get inside- which would be pivotal in taking the locket back from Umbridge. Unless…

“Oh, you’re up.”

Lily turned to face Harry. He was so small and thin. And tired too, he was rubbing his eyes under his glasses, his baggy clothes still rumpled with sleep.

“Do you want to go back to bed?” Lily asked.

Harry shook his head. “I wouldn’t be able to if I tried. I get up at this time anyway to make breakfast. What do you like?”

Lily frowned. “No need for that, you’re a guest here. Anyway I made something for you. It’s not much, but I didn’t get time to go to the store.”

Harry sat down at her small melamine table and stared at what was in front of him. “What’s the green thing on the toast?”

“It’s mashed avocado, with smoked salmon. And there’s a boiled egg on the side.” Might as well feed him something healthy since Nana would be stuffing him with bacon and sausages soon enough.

Harry looked at it skeptically. “And what’s in the glass pot? And the purple cubes?”

“Chia pudding. And Dragonfruit.”

“Is this magical food?” Harry asked, gingerly taking a bite of the fruit. “I’ve never heard of any of these things.”

Lily laughed. “No, it’s very Muggle. But I doubt the Dursley’s are the type to venture out of their comfort zone.

Harry reluctantly ate his breakfast as Lily offered him some tea. “It’s not bad,” he admitted with a shrug.

“High praise, coming from you,” Lily chuckled.

“What could you tell me about my parents? How did you know them?” Harry asked. Ah, getting straight to the point.

Lily thought about it and replied, “I spent my Seventh year at Hogwarts. I had moved away from my friends and family and I was stuck in a strange place. Your father befriended me and made me feel like I belonged.”

Harry blinked. “Were you friends with my dad?”

“I’d like to think so. I spent a good bit of time with him, and the rest of them too- Sirius, Remus, Peter. We were inseparable for a while.” She looked at Harry’s expression and asked, “What would you like to know about James?”

Harry furrowed his brows. “Everyone always tells me the same things about him. What was he really like?”

Lily took a sip from her teacup. “He wasn’t a saint. He was a person, like any of us. But I can’t tell you he really was one of the best. I remember the first day we met after History of Magic…”

Lily spent the morning going into detail about the adventures she had with the Marauders - from late night excursions, to Quidditch mishaps and planning pranks. She described in detail James’s love of puns, the times he and the other four would go off on silly tangents…

(James tipped the air as if it were a hat, “Mr. Prongs concedes to Mr. Padfoot that in fact, Louisa is rather daft.”

Louisa shoved James, who laughed. “Oi, who are you calling daft?” She laughed. James rolled his eyes, Sirius snickered. 

“Mr. Padfoot asks Mr. Prongs how he had missed such an evident fact,” Sirius asked. Louisa stuck out her tongue.

James took off his glasses. “Perhaps I need to get my eyes examined.” They groaned.)

“And he was a leader,” Lily added. “He was captain of the Quidditch team, and Head Boy. He knew everyone, and really made an effort to make sure other students felt accepted, especially the Muggleborns.”

“Was that a problem then?” Harry asked.

“Oh certainly, it was the height of the war. We were mostly sequestered from it at Hogwarts, though we’d know of students having to leave for funerals and such. There were even a few incidents of hate speech that your parents had to investigate.”

“Did you know my mum too?”

Lily nodded. “It’s impossible not to know someone after living with them for a year. She was...a nice girl. Very smart, no nonsense. She did not suffer fools gladly.”

Harry frowned. “You two didn’t get along.”

“I didn’t say that,” Lily protested. “I liked her very much.”

“But you don’t certainly have as many nice things to say about her.” Harry noticed.

Lily bit her lip. “I think she didn’t warm up to me as much because she wasn’t a fan of the way your father and his friends had behaved in the past. And she held that against them for a while. The fact I just joined them and encouraged that behavior probably did not do me any favours.”

“Why wouldn’t she like their behavior? I thought you said my dad helped people!” Harry exclaimed. 

“He did, but he’d had a bit of a reputation with his pranks. He had this rivalry with a Slytherin, but that had definitely ended by the time I knew him and he’d changed. He was trying to be a better person, and Lily wasn’t able to see that. Not for a while at least.”

“I don’t understand,” Harry interrupted. “Did my mum hate my dad?” 

“No!” Lily exclaimed. “I think she’d always liked him, on some level, but back then Jamie could be a bit of a prick sometimes.” She saw Harry’s expression of shock and paled. “Sorry, I mean, your parents had their disagreements in the past, but they saw each other for who they truly were and fell in love. And they really did love each other, Harry.”

She leaned over and placed her hand on his. “I know you’re going through a lot right now, and I can’t say it’s going to get any easier, but I can assure you that your parents were wonderful people and what everyone says is true.”

Harry calmed down, and removed his hand from Lily’s.

“Do you want to know about your grandparents?” Lily asked. “I visited during Yule and I can tell you everything you’d want to know about them. They were very chatty.”

——————————————————————-

Lily spent the morning recounting her time at the Potter’s ancestral home, and any other stories she had forgotten about her time with the Marauders. When she checked her watch, she was surprised to see they had been talking until noon.

“Goodness, I hope I hadn’t bored you half to death with my rambling.” Lily lifted her wand and sent the empty dishes to the sink. With another flick, she cast Scourgify and dried them, floating them back to the cupboard.

“Not at all,” Harry replied. “Thank you. It’s one thing hearing about them from Remus and Sirius, but it’s nice to see them from a different point of view.”

That was putting it mildly. 

“Speaking of Sirius, I think I’d like to write to him, and my friends. Do you have any parchment I could borrow?” Harry asked

Lily sighed. She had been dreading this, but what would be the point in delaying the inevitable?

“Sure, would you like me to wake up Hedwig as well?”

“No, thanks. She doesn’t take well to strangers, I’ll do it.”

Lily walked to her desk and took out three sheets, one for Sirius, Hermione, and Ron. At least Hedwig wouldn’t have to travel too far, they were all in one place. Lily wondered about the limits of the Fidelius Charm. She knew they were at her childhood home, and she knew what it looked like, but now she was drawing a blank to its name. 

“Here you go,” she declared, handing the sheets to Harry. “If you need any more, let me know.”

Lily went back to her room to wash her face, and thought about how Sirius would react to Harry’s letter. Did he already know she was here? Would it matter even? He was certainly in no state to care about her anymore, not after the torture he underwent in Azkaban. 

It was a fling some twenty odd years ago anyway. He’d have probably forgotten about her by now, and maybe it was better that way. But she hoped they could at least be friends again. Lily splashed through cold water on her face, and patted herself with a towel. She brushed her thick, messy red hair and tied it in a ponytail, though some shorter strands flew out framing her face. Enough dawdling, she needed to check on Harry.

“Finished,” Harry said. He looked up. “I’ll send Hedwig along, but she might take all day. Hermione and Ron live on opposite ends of the country.”

“She’ll be back before you know it,” Lily dismissed. “So breakfast was a bit of a wash, what do you want for lunch? I was thinking Peri Peri.”

———————————————————————-

The week seemed to drift by. Lily kept Harry busy by insisting he finish his schoolwork, then offering to take him out on trips across Muggle London. Was it dangerous? Possibly, but he’d never been to a museum before. They visited the Natural History Museum on Tuesday, the British Museum on Wednesday, and the V&A on Thursday. Though that one had mostly been for herself, she’d enjoyed sitting outside in their courtyard by the fountain when she’d visit with her parents and it was a nice enough day. While they were there, Lily chimed in on any interesting connections to the Magical world, such as the Sufi mages and their relics in the Islamic art collection, or the traces of magic Raphael left on his commissions for the Vatican, or the totems of Japanese wizards that would often get mistaken by Muggle collectors as netsuke. 

She used the opportunity to discuss magical artifacts in general, and casually mentioned that the Founders of Hogwarts had their own lost prices of history. In fact, there were artifacts even older than theirs, that had been relegated to legends. 

“Had you ever heard the tale of the Three Brothers, Harry?”

She casually recounted the fairytale in the William Morris dining room as Harry ate roast chicken, while she had the soup.

“Some say the Three Brothers were based on real people, the Peverells, and the items they won from Death were in fact real as well.”

“Like the Invisibility Cloak,” Harry observed.

Lily nodded. “The Hallows were co-opted as a symbol of hate in the nineteen forties, but they transcend meaning of death and Blood purity.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Harry asked.

Lily paused. What could she say? “I thought you’d find it interesting. Legend has it that the Stone might have belonged to Salazar Slytherin himself. Slytherin had a good many trinkets, like this rather garish locket with a large S emblazoned on the front, very tacky and very dangerous. They say it’s been lost to time. Do you want pudding? I think I saw some raspberry cake on display.”

Harry seemed to enjoy himself, even if it wasn’t Quidditch. Though she felt a bit guilty keeping him away from the magical world just a bit longer, it would call for him soon.

On Friday evening, Lily waited by the window. Albus had written earlier that morning to say the Advance Guard were to pick up Harry, and she was free to do as she pleased. However, if she chose to play a more active role in the upcoming war, he would happily accept her. He even wrote the location of the Order’s meeting on invisible ink on a separate piece of paper, which he had tied around a packet of strawberry fizzle drops.

Lily knew she shouldn’t interfere. She had done enough already. She’d subtly tried to tell Harry what he might have missed from his hearing: locations, people, and tried to play it off as a brief introduction to Wizard politics. However, Harry’s eyes glazed over in boredom. He’d have to figure it out on his own then. 

They had finished supper when they heard a loud knock at the door. Lily stood up, wand after hand. Had they knocked at Privet Drive?

“Harry, go to the bedroom, I’ll let you know if the coast is clear.”

“I’m not going to hide away,” Harry protested. “I’ve been through worse.” 

Lily sighed and shook her head. “If they shoot, jump out the window and run.” Harry tensed, and nodded.

Lily looked out her keyhole to see a group of people outside her flat. Sure enough there was Tonks, Moody, Shacklebolt, a woman she hadn’t heard of before- probably Hestia Jones, another tall man, and...Remus?

Oh, he had changed. Aged so much so fast. One would think he was fifty!

Lily cracked open the door slightly. “Before you try anything, the floor you’re standing on is cursed. It will send a horrible shock through your system unless you can answer this question.”

She turned to Remus. “What did you once call me after I tried to throw that party in October 1977?”

“An idiot,” Remus replied.

“But what kind?”

“A fish brained idiot without two brain cells to rub together. In my defense, you were very frustrating.”

“You’re forgiven,” Lily replied, about to open the door.

“What did you give me in the hospital wing, when you told me you accepted me for who I was?” Remus asked softly. 

Lily faltered. “A teddy bear.” She slyly glanced around Tonks, who seemed intrigued. 

“You haven’t changed at all, Louisa.” Remus said fondly.

“C’mon you lot, get in. You’re making a scene.” Lily urged.

“I’d say you were the one holding us up,” Moody replied testily.

They shuffled inside as Harry warily stared at them all. 

“Remus!” Harry shouted, running up to the man and giving him a hug. 

“Harry! How are you? Hope you’ve been behaving yourself,” Remus teased. 

“Of course I have, not like there was much to do, Louisa forced me to do my homework the whole time.” Harry mumbled.

“Wotcher, Harry!” Tonks exclaimed. 

Remus looked over his shoulder. “Right, introductions are in order. That is Nymphadora Tonks.”

“Just Tonks, don’t call me Nymphadora.” She replied in annoyance.

“Apologies. This is Kingsley Shackleblot, And you remember Alastor Moody…”

Harry winced. “Hello Professor.”

Moody lifted his hand to shake Harry’s. “Consider this our first meeting, Mr. Potter. I’m keen to forget the last one.”

“And this is Hestia Jones and Fabian Prewett.”

Lily’s eyes widened. That can’t be right. 

They both shook Harry’s hand. 

“Pleasure to meet you, Harry. I’ve heard so much about you from Ron,” Fabian winked. He turned to address Lily. “Remus tells me your last name is Prewett. Perhaps you’re a cousin of ours?”

“Doubtful,” Lily frowned. “I’m Muggleborn. And it’s spelled differently.”

Fabian grinned. “Fair enough, though I hope we do see each other again soon.”

Lily reflexively winced. She made her pleasantries with him as the rest escorted Harry out the window onto their brooms. 

Remus was about to leave when he grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Louisa, I need to speak to you soon, my schedule’s been all over the place but there's so much you need to know,” Remus declared nervously.

“I know the truth about Sirius,” Lily replied. “And Peter.”

“Everything?” Remus asked. “Is that why you’re back?”

“Well almost everything.” Lily joked. “And I’m back because I want to help.”

“You were perfectly fine with running away during the last war. You really hurt Sirius when you left. You hurt all of us.” Remus replied bitterly.

Lily didn’t know what to say to that. “I can’t undo what’s happened, but I can try to make amends. I’m sorry.”

Remus nodded, grabbing onto his broom. “Are you coming to the Order meeting tonight?” 

“Yes.”

———————————————————————

Lily arrived to the Order meeting shortly after the other had finished settling in Harry. 

“Albus!” Lily cried out.

“Lulu! I’m glad you decided to join us.” Albus smiled.

“You were right, I can’t stay on the sidelines. I want to help in any way I can, if you’ll have me.”

“Of course. Now sit down. We are still waiting a few more members…”

“Louisa?” 

Lily turned to face the familiar voice she had only heard as of late in her dreams.

“Sirius,” she whispered.

“I didn’t think you would be here. Harry has mentioned you in his letter, but I thought I was imagining things.” Sirius mumbled.

“You look well,” Lily replied looking at his haggard appearance. “Did you go on a diet?”

Sirius snorted. “Oh shut up. Sit next to me. We can catch up after the meeting.”

Lily smiled, and tried her best to hide her excitement. It was too much to expect anything, but being near him was enough. Seeing him alive was enough.

As the rest of the members shuffled in, she saw a few faces she had heard about in stories from her parents, and younger versions of faces she knew all too well, and some…

“Marlene? Marlene McKinnon?!” Lily exclaimed.

Marlene turned from her conversation with McGonagall as her expression soured. “Oh. Louisa! How are you?” Marlene had a motion to hug Lily, which she awkwardly accepted. How was this possible? She had died in the last war, hadn’t she?

“How are you, Marly?” Lily asked nervously.

“Oh, you know. Muddling through. I got married.” 

“Oh?” Lily asked.

“Do you remember Benjy Fenwick? A few years older than us?”

“Do I?” Lily smiled. Was this bad? Having so many of the dead alive? She’d assumed that her other plans had failed when she had found out Jamie and Lily hadn’t made it.

“Of course I do!” She exclaimed. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m sure.” Marlene replied, scrutinizing her appearance. “I’m sure you heard about Sirius?”

“Yes, of course.” Lily replied. Though she wasn’t sure why Marlene was giving her this judgements look.

“And I heard you kept Harry this week.” She observed.

“It was the right thing to do,” Lily replied blandly.

Marlene leaned over and whispered in Lily’s ear. “I hope for your sake you didn’t try to pollute that boy’s opinion on his parents. I know you and Lily weren’t on the best terms, but he’s been through enough.”

“What kind of person do you take me for?” Lily hissed. “I loved them both. I’d never do that.”

“I hope so.” Marlene replied. “And I’m keeping an eye on you about Sirius. The last thing he needs is his heart broken again.” 

Lily glared at her, but had to agree. Once Benjy joined his wife, they parted ways and sat down for the meeting. 

The meeting itself was uneventful, except for Snape’s entrance. He didn’t say anything to her, of course, but she could feel his hatred towards her. Not that she’d ever interacted with him even at school. She’d assumed it was hatred by association.

Once they were given their duties, they were dismissed. 

Lily walked over to Albus and discreetly took him aside. “We need to talk privately, soon.”

“I’m free next week,” he offered. 

“I think that would work. Though time is of the essence. I know the second half.”

Albus blinked. “Really?”

“Not that it matters, now we have to make sure he doesn’t. But there’s something of importance in this building and I need your help in destroying it.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Jewelry. That’s all you’re getting for now. But if anyone here notices some very nice jewelry, particularly a necklace, tell them to give it to Sirius, and ask if you can destroy it. Though it isn’t even his to grant permission on.”

“Say no more, I understand. But you can come over for tea next week anyway. I do miss our talks.” Albus replied. 

“Wonderful, I’ll bring the last of my stash,” Lily offered, happy to see Albus suppress a smile as he left via floo.

“What were you conspiring with Dumbledore about?” Sirius asked.

The rest of the Order has mostly filtered out by now, and it was just them. 

“Do you have any plans tomorrow?” Lily asked.

“Let me check...no, I think my schedule is pretty clear.” 

Lily laughed. “I’d like to come over then.”

“So soon? My, aren’t we rushing things?” 

Lily rolled her eyes. “This is important, Sirius. I think I might have something to keep you occupied. And if we succeed, the war could be over in a year.”

Sirius’s interest piqued. “Then, by all means stop by. And here I thought you came all the way back from Hong Kong to see my beautiful face.”

“I consider it an added bonus,” Lily smirked. 

Sirius stared at her. “You haven’t changed at all.” Her hesitantly touched her hair, letting his hand run through her messy curls. 

“Sirius…” she whispered.

Before she knew it, he had wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, sobbing into her shoulder. “I thought I had lost you forever. I thought all these years you’d hate me, if you knew how I let James and Lily die.”

Lily clung to his thin frame, allowing his head to rest on her shoulder, his body pressed tight against hers. She could feel his ribs sticking out. Hadn’t he had a year to regain his strength?

She shushed him, gently rubbing his neck. “I could never hate you, especially since I know what happened. It’s not your fault.”

He shook his head. “It is.”

“We don’t need to argue about this,” she murmured. “I don’t hate you, far from it. And I’m here.”

“For good this time?” Sirius asked, wiping his face.

Lily leaned over and kissed him. Was it too much, too soon? Sirius stiffened in her arms, but gently kissed her back. She didn’t want to force him into anything, so she stopped.

“Maybe we should start slow,” Lily noted. “My name’s Lou, what’s yours?”

Sirius laughed. “Maybe not that slow. But it’s going to take some time, to adjust. I’m not what I used to be though I wish I was.”

Lily nuzzled against his shoulder. “I don’t mind. I’m not the same either.”

“That I don’t believe.” Sirius protested.

“Maybe not on the outside,” she replied. She let go and patted him on the back. “Should I stop by at teatime?”

“Lunch if you can. Though I’d recommend you bring your own. Kreacher’s not too inclined on cooking these days.”

Lily laughed. “Then I’ll bring enough for the both of us.”

As she made her farewells, she noticed the flesh colored string stretching not so discretely from behind the door. She was going to have to be wary the next week while the children were around. It was bad enough having one person know the future.


	4. Dozywocie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dozywocie – Parental contract with children guaranteeing lifelong support

Lily arrived at Grimmauld at noon to find the place in a frenzy of activity. 

She received the customary greeting from Walburga _“Traitorous halfbloods and filth!”_ \- and promptly placed a sticking charm over the curtain. 

Nana it seems had enlisted the whole family into house cleaning and they were well into the swing of things.

“Ginny! I thought I told you to dust the carpets!” 

Lily heard her Nana barreling in from the drawing room, only for her to stop and adjust her senses. “Oh forgive me, I thought for a moment you were my daughter. You must be Sirius’s friend?”

Lily grinned. “It’s fine,” she extended her hand. “Call me Louisa.”

Nana wiped her hands on her apron and accepted the handshake. “Molly. Maybe between the two of us we can get him to act like a responsible adult.”

Lily laughed. “I’d like to see you try. Where is he?”

“Moping in his room. Do you need me to walk you up?” Molly offered. It was going to be strange calling her by her first name.

“No thanks, I can manage. You look like you’re a bit preoccupied as is.” 

Molly huffed. “That’s putting it mildly! I think we might be dealing with at least thirty years of dust, not to mention the pests overtaking this place. You think from the way my mother-in-law went on about this house you think it would have stayed in a better condition.”

Lily ran her hand over the banister of the stairs. “Oh, I think this house could live up to its former glory, it just needs a little bit of love.” She smiled fondly at her own memories of sliding down the banister with Jamie, and Al chasing after them. 

Molly looked skeptical, but left her to her own devices. Good, she was going to need all her luck this afternoon.

She knocked on the door and heard Sirius’s muffled voice. “Come in.”

Gently, she twisted open the doorknob to find Sirius on the fooor, with Buckbeak nuzzling against him, flapping his wings. Buckbeak looked up to notice Lily, and cooed. Lily bowed, and he bowed back. She knew he wouldn’t remember her many visits to see him at Hogwarts, and it briefly made her sad. 

“He likes you,” Sirius remarked as he sat up. 

“I have that effect on people,” Lily winked. “So business first, then lunch?”

“Other way around please, I’m famished.” Sirius replied dramatically, the back of his hand resting on his forehead.

“Molly’s cooking not to your liking?” Lily joked.

Sirius shrugged. “It’s alright. I guess. What do you have?”

Lily took out two containers from her bag. “Ordered takeaway. I hope you like kebabs.”

——————————————————————

After they had finished their lunch, (with Buckbeak eating half of Sirius’s) they fell into a comfortable silence. 

“You know, I don’t know what I would have done without you, I’m going mad cooped up here,” Sirius confessed. 

“It’s only been what, a few months?” Lily asked.

“Less than that, even. When Harry’s gone it’s going to be unbearable.”

“Has he said anything to you about his nightmares?” Lily asked. She didn’t know how much Harry had confessed to his godfather at the time, but maybe the sooner he could try to control the horcrux inside him, the better.

“A few times. Have they gotten worse?” Sirius asked, concern spreading on his face.

“Yes,” Lily admitted. She had heard him screaming throughout the night, and couldn’t help but feel helpless as his mind was in Voldemort’s grasp.

“We have to tell Dumbledore.” Sirius suggested. 

Lily nodded. “Harry’s too stubborn to listen to us, he’ll think he can handle it on his own, but I don’t think Albus is going to have the best solution either.”

“What do you think he had in mind?” 

“Occulmency - with Snape.” Lily replied sourly. Sirius scrunched his face in disgust.

“Might as well give him to You-Know-Who giftwrapped.” Sirius remarked. 

“Let’s just hope it doesn’t get to that point. Do you know anything about the Mind Arts?” Lily asked.

Sirius shook his head. “Reg and I were taught a few basic skills, but I never could grasp it- much too emotional according to mother.”

Lily frowned. “That’s actually one of the reasons I came over today. Sirius, I think it’s time you learned the truth about your brother.”

  
When she finished, Sirius was shaking. 

“How? How could you possibly know any of this?” Sirius whispered. His eyes were wide in shock and uncertainty.

“I will explain, but now we need to ask Kreacher for his help.” Lily said softly. 

“You knew the whole time, you tried to warn me and I ignored you.” Sirius mumbled.

“I wasn’t sure it would happen.” Lily replied. With everything she had changed, it really was possible most things would be different.

“But I let him die.” Sirius said in defeat. “I let him die alone in agony.”

“You didn’t do anything. He chose to sacrifice his life knowing the risks, just like you,” Lily declared, clasping Sirius’s hand in hers. 

Sirius took a deep breath and screamed, “Kreacher!”

The house elf popped into the room, scowling. “Master calls for me along with his halfblood hussy?”

“I don’t have the time for this. What did you do with Regulus’s locket you miserable bat?”

Kreacher’s eyes widened. “Master does not have the right to say his name, let alone ask for such a precious item,” he shouted.

“Kreacher,” Lily interrupted, “We know what Regulus wanted, and we want the same thing. We know how to destroy it. Please don’t let his loss be in vain.”

Kreacher was curious. “Can you destroy it? Kreacher has tried so many years but nothing…”

“I will need to return with the materials, but I can destroy it in front of you, if you’d like,” Lily offered. “I just need the locket.”

“Kreacher knows where it is,” the house elf offered. He popped out of the room, and momentarily returned, his face ashen. “It is gone.”

Sirius was about to shout at the elf until Lily raised her hand to stop him. 

“When did you last see it?” she asked.

“Last night. Kreacher tries to destroy it nightly, after duties. And polishes it for Master Regulus.”

“Incredible,” Sirius muttered sarcastically. “Still hung up on him all this time.”

“So after the Order meeting. I have a guess who could have taken it,” Lily declared. She kissed Sirius on the cheek, his stubble prickling against her lips. “Be good,” she whispered. 

“Can I come with you?” Sirius asked desperately.

“Next time,” she winked and disapparated.

She headed for Knockturn and made her way to the local pub, the Prickly Dragon. She used the secret knock at the door, surprisingly still unchanged. 

Lily used to visit this place in the future to scope out intelligence on forbidden items for work. Black market timeturners, knockoff Resurrection Stones, even a stolen Brain was offloaded here at one point.

She went up to the bar to order a pint and scope out the scene. She wasn’t sure if he’d be there, but there were a few unsavory characters, and even a coworker or two of hers. She turned a quarter to the right to glance at the tables in the back and noticed a pair of piercing blue eyes staring at her. It was the man from the Potions shop! The other time traveller. 

Should she follow him? No, her cover was blown. Confronting him would be madness, not in a public place. They stared at each other, not making a move. She lifted her finger to call to the barkeep. She placed a galleon on the table. “That’s for my tab, and could you use some of it to send a shot of whiskey to that man over there?”

The barkeep looked at her suspiciously and bit into the coin. Noting it was genuine, he placed it in his apron. “You must have some nerve to want to try to pick up Yaxley of all people.”

Yaxley? He was a Death Eater from what Lily remembered from her history books. How did he gain the ability to time travel? Maybe Rookwood helped- though he’d still be in Azkaban.

“Perhaps I like to live dangerously,” Lily replied. She watched as the barkeep poured the shot, and sent it to him. Yaxley glared at her, and stood up from his seat, pushing his way to the door. Lily smirked. That was fun, but she had work to do. 

She scanned across the seats and found Mundungus in a game of Wizard’s Whist- a more high stakes version of the Muggle card game with a bigger chance of failure from the enchanted talking face cards. 

She walked over to the table and tapped him on the shoulder. “I think we need to have a word.”

“I’m not looking for company tonight, luv, but maybe I will after this round.” Mundungus dismissed.

Lily tightly gripped his shoulder tightly, her wand pointed at the small of his back. “I’m not asking,” she growled.”

Mundungus glared at her, but relented. “Excuse me gents, I need to take this.”

“Not like it’d save you from your lousy hand!” His queen of diamonds shouted as it was placed on the table.

Mundungus casually tossed it to the floor and joined Lily outside in the back alley.

“Alright, what’s all this?” 

Lily pinned him against the wall, one hand on his neck as she placed him in a Body Bind. 

“Alright you lout, I know you’ve taken some items from the house, and I think it would be in our best interests if you handed them over,” Lily growled. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Mundungus shouted as Lily grabbed his arm, and twisted it. 

“Oh? Are you saying that they just got up and walked away on their own?” She cast the Bat Bogey Hex, and watched him scream. 

“Alright, alright!” He shouted, snot running down his face. “I’ll give back the ashtrays, and the candlestick!”

Lily stopped the hex curiously. “I doubt that’s all of it.”

“I didn’t have time to properly case the joint, but I also took a candle snuffer, and a wick trimmer? But I pawned those already.”

“Nothing else?” Lily asked. “I’m not afraid to use something stronger.”

“No! I swear on my mother’s grave. And I’ll give them back, all of it.” Mundungus begged. “Please.”

Lily undid the hex and pushed him to the ground. “I hope you do, for your sake. And never try anything like that again, or I’ll come after you.”

“Back off, you bitch! I’m trying to make an honest living like anyone else here.” He spit at her, and she diverted it. 

Lily gave a curt nod. “I’ll see you around, Dung.”

Lily made the rounds at the pawn shops, making a stop at Borgin and Burke’s. It wasn’t there. She made a mental note to vandalize the vanishing cabinet later, even if she did save Albus’s life.

Dejected, Lily made her way back to Grimmauld with nothing to show for her efforts other than some new enemies. 

Molly opened the door. “You’re back! Would you like to stay for dinner?”

Lily nodded eagerly. “Yes please, I could use some of your famous cooking.”

She was happy to see her family again, even though they were much younger. Harry was surprised to see her again, but introduced her to Ron and Hermione. She wasn’t sure why Hermione looked wary of her, but Ron was his usual self. The biggest surprise was Sirius joining them for dinner.

“Sirius if you do plan on joining us, please let me know so I can plan accordingly,” Molly said peevishly.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Sirius replied. He kissed Lily on the cheek. “How did it go?” He asked softly in her ear.

“Badly,” Lily replied. 

They ate, and talked. Lily took notice of her parents. Harry was oblivious of her mother of course, and Ginny seemed to be content talking to her brothers. She was laughing loudly. But Lily noticed the subtle glances towards Harry’s side of the table. Oh, she had it bad.

Surprisingly, she also noticed Ginny fiddling with something around her neck. Could it be?

It was a small lump hidden under her blouse. It could be anything, a charm necklace or anything. It didn’t have to be the locket.

But when she saw Ginny shout angrily at Fred for a minor joke at her expense, she had her doubts confirmed. One day in and she was beginning to be corrupted.

After the meal, Molly lifted her wand to clear the dishes. 

“I’ll take care of it, Molly.” Lily offered. “It’s the least I could do.” 

Molly softened at the suggestion. “Are you sure? I’m perfectly fine.”

“Nonsense, it would be my pleasure. But I would love some company. Would you mind, Ginny?” Lily asked.

Ginny scowled. “It’s not fair! Why do I have to do the dishes?”

“Ginny, you do as you're told. Please.” Molly replied. “You’ve been acting cross all day.”

Ginny sighed. “Fine.”

She followed Lily into the kitchen, but didn’t bother to help pick anything up.

“So, why are you here?” Ginny asked as she dried the plates. Lily found it amusing how the roles were reversed with her and her mother. “Harry was talking about you all day, said you knew his parents.”

“I did,” Lily confirmed, floating the pans back into the cupboard. “Harry’s dad and I were good friends.”

“Just friends?” Ginny asked, raising her eyebrow.

“Did you hear otherwise?” Lily asked. 

“Harry might have heard Remus mention that you and his dad once dated. And you dated Sirius.”

Lily blushed. Well she hadn’t expected the conversation to go in this direction. “Jamie and I were never involved, romantically or otherwise, we were just friends.”

“Hmm,” Ginny replied noncommittally. “And Sirius?”

“That’s none of his business, or yours,” Lily replied. “That’s a nice necklace you have. Could you show it to me?”

Ginny narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You’re hiding it underneath your blouse, pull it out.”

“I don’t need to, it’s mine,” Ginny refused.

Lily leaned over and pulled it off her neck. 

“Excuse me!” Ginny shouted. “You can’t touch me like that!”

“Didn’t your mother tell you not to take what isn’t yours?” Lily asked, clicking her tongue.

“No one would miss it, it was in a drawer. And you wouldn’t understand.” Ginny grumbled. 

“Try me.”

“I’ve...never had anything of my own, especially something this nice. I just thought, maybe it would be something that turns things around for me.” Ginny replied quietly.

“Ginny, you have a great family, you’re doing well in school, and from what I’ve heard, a nice boyfriend. What else do you want?”

“I...I don’t know! I just wanted something that was mine for once. That I didn’t have to share, and made me feel pretty.” Ginny looked tired, frustrated. She wouldn’t have gotten this far in possession in just a day. Maybe she had already had these feelings and they were manifesting to the surface?

“Ginny, that thing is hideous, you’re better off without it,” Lily said, dangling the chain in her hand.

Ginny buried her hand in her face. “I know, I know, but something about this. It called to me.I put it on my neck, and I just felt calm. Like things could be alright again and we wouldn’t be hiding in this house. I just want to go home. Give it back.” 

Lily stared at her pityingly. “You really are going two for two, aren’t you?” 

Ginny glanced up. “What?”

“I think after your possession in your first year, you’ve become more susceptible to cursed objects. You’re going to need to be more careful in the future.”

Ginny’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean…”

“It is like the diary, yes. I’ll talk to your mother, see if you can get a day off from cleaning tomorrow.”

“No!” Ginny protested. “I don’t want her knowing about this. Last time she wouldn’t let me out of her sight the whole summer. Please, don’t tell her.”

“Do you still get visions? Hallucinations? Any remnants from your possession?” Lily asked.

“No,” Ginny responded with finality. “I do think of him, sometimes, but that could be my imagination. I thought I heard his voice in my head, this afternoon.”

Lily looked at her mother’s anxious face and relented. “Alright I won’t tell, but don’t overdo it these next few days. And ease up on the doxy repellent.”

Ginny relaxed, but still looked nervous. “Ok, if you could convince my mum about that I’d be grateful.”

Lily laughed. “I can’t make any promises.” She picked up her coat and stuffed the necklace in her pocket.

“I hope you don’t mind, I’m taking this.” Lily declared.

“Like I have a choice.” Ginny replied, leaving the kitchen.

Ginny turned back to face her. “Louisa? Thanks.”

Lily shook her head. “Don’t mention it.”

As Ginny left, Lily floated through rest of the dishes away. She was going to have to write to Albus to visit sooner than expected. She was going to need to pay a visit to his office.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Shrive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shrive- to free from guilt

Lily arrived at Albus’s office at night, and brought a large basket of homemade biscuits.

“What’s the occasion?” Albus asked as he examined the pink and yellow confection.

“I thought you could use a pick me up before the year starts.” Lily replied.

Albus summoned a pot of tea and took a bite. “I do enjoy lemon curd, but what is this icing?”

“Ruby chocolate, it’s a rare varietal that is discovered soon enough by the Muggles in 2017 - it’s the last of my reserves, I do hope you enjoy it.”

“It’s divine, but I can’t help but think there’s more to this visit than a social call,” Albus declared as he took another bite. “Though I might not complain if it means more biscuits in my future.”

“I’m sure you’re aware of the nature of the diary that possessed Miss Weasley three years ago.” Lily began.

Albus looked at her frostily, but remained impassive. “Yes, a memory, as Mr. Potter had recalled it calling itself.”

“You and I both know it’s not just a memory,” Lily added. “Portraits, or any other enchantment isn’t advanced enough to act on its own will. That diary contained the very essence of Riddle himself.”

“I had my suspicions.” Albus commented. “But I do not have any proof.”

“But I know what is going to happen, what will happen. And I can tell you your fears are correct.”

Lily pulled out the locket and placed it on Dumbledore’s desk. “See for yourself.”

Albus examined the locket casting a diagnostic spell that glowed a pale blue light, and frowned. “This is Dark Magic indeed,” he muttered.

“So are you in agreement we must destroy it then?” Lily asked. “And the others?”

Albus’s brows furrowed. “There are more?”

“Seven. You could ask Slughorn for confirmation.”

“Horace’s whereabouts are unknown at the moment,” Albus replied before picking up his spectacles and wiping them. “You are probably going to tell me I don’t need to confirm with him because I’ve already done this before.” 

“I could,” Lily agreed. “But you aren’t the type to rely on blind faith.”

“Do you know the others?” Albus asked. 

“Yes.”

“And how were they destroyed before?”

“...By Harry, and his friends. It was brutal, and had an infinitesimal chance of success. I was proposing we lighten the load.”

Albus’s mouth turned into a thin line. “You know as well as I the dangers of meddling with time. You warned me about them yourself.”

“But if we could potentially save hundreds of lives, especially the lives of your students, wouldn’t it be morally bankrupt to let history play as it should?” Lily asked.

Albus stared at his desk silently. “Hundreds?”

“And the castle too,” Lily added solemnly.

“Very well, let’s destroy this abomination.” Albus stood up. “What do you propose? Fiendfyre?”

“Actually, I would like to borrow the Sword,” Lily answered. “And I’m afraid we’ll have to go off campus for a bit to Grimmauld Place. I promised a House Elf he could watch.”

Dumbledore nodded, and waved his wand, lifting open the glass case. He floated it into his hand. 

They descended the stairs out of his office, and Lily motioned for him to follow her. “We need to make one more stop before we go.”

The castle was empty. It was still one day to term and while a few of the professors had arrived, they were in their quarters. Thankfully, Umbridge was delayed with Ministry business and would arrive the day of the feast. So their walk up to the Seventh floor was uninterrupted. 

Lily passed the tapestry and envisioned what she wanted. She needed the diadem, and only the diadem. When she entered the room, it was waiting for her.

“I remember this place,” Albus remarked. “In my youth, I had passed by when my bladder was especially full. When I found it, it was covered with chamber pots. I never found it again.”

“It only gives you what you want,” Lily replied. She picked up the diadem and examined it. Albus looked over her shoulder. 

“It can’t be.” He exclaimed. 

“It is. Riddle found it in Albania. Kept it here for safekeeping, thinking he had been the only one to discover the Room’s secrets.” Lily said as she placed the diadem in her coat next to the locket.

“At least he returned it to Hogwarts, even if it was self-serving.” Albus remarked. “Are there any other long lost secrets hiding under my nose?” 

Lily shook her head. She checked her watch. “We better go.”

“Do you think it’s wise destroying this in a crowded house full of children?” Albus asked skeptically. 

“When will you be free once term starts? Plus, I promised to involve Sirius.”

Albus didn’t comment, but his disapproval was palpable.

“He does need to feel involved in the war effort, Albus. Or he will act out. Besides, if there needs to be any missions to retrieve the others. He and I would be the perfect candidates.”

Albus contemplated that statement as they left the castle and apparated to Grimmauld. 

It was midnight when they entered the house. Albus used his dilluminator to darken the surrounding streetlights. Silently, Lily unlocked the door as Albus cast a counter for any jinxes to block intruders.

“Filth! Blood traitors in my house!” Screeched the portrait of Walburga Black. So much for subtlety. 

Arthur greeted them from the drawing room. “Albus! What brings you here at this hour?” He briefly nodded at Lily, unsure as to what to address her as. “Hello.”

“Hi.” Lily replied awkwardly to her Grandad.

“Order business, I’m afraid. Do you mind if we use the kitchen? I’d appreciate it if no one entered it at this time.” Albus requested.

Arthur nodded rapidly. “Of course! Molly’s already finished washing up. The kids are in bed, we won’t bother you at all, by all means.”

“Thank you, Arthur.” Albus replied serenely.

“I’ll get Sirius,” Lily said as she rushed up the stairs.

Lily found Sirius awake and staring at the ceiling.

He turned to her in surprise.

“You really did it?” He asked.

Lily nodded. “We were lucky, we even have an extra to deal with. Do you think you’re up to it?”

Sirius stood up. “I want to be, for Harry’s sake. When you told me what he’d have to face...I have to do all that I can to help him.”

Lily wrapped her arms around his shoulder. “This isn’t going to be easy. It does not want to die. It will be incredibly harrowing.”

Sirius looked steely. His grey eyes flashing. “I’m doing it. You’re not stopping me.”

Lily hugged him, and walked with him out the room. On their way down the stairs, she noticed the lights open in the children’s rooms. 

“Ah you made it,” Albus said as they entered the kitchen. He had cast a rune circle around the kitchen table, Kreacher was staring at the locket in contempt. 

Lily handed the sword to Sirius. “Are you ready?”

He nodded. 

Lily spoke the phrase she had heard many times as the story was recounted- mostly by Uncle Ron.

Open

She felt the table shake as smoke spewed out of the locket. The metal pieces cracked open as the smoke unfurled to reveal a face...James.

“Murderer!” It shouted, it’s face contorting into a sneer. It sounded just like him.

“I trusted you with my life, my family’s life, and because of you I am dead. How could you?” It shrieked.

Sirius was shaking, the sword limp in his hand.

“It isn’t real Sirius,” Lily shouted tensely. “You need to strike it.”

“You killed me! Your arrogance and your pride. You are just as guilty as Pettigrew and you deserved what you got. You deserve to be rotting in the ground with me!”

“No!” Sirius screamed. 

“I never really cared for you anyway. I always felt sorry for you, poor pathetic Sirius. Without me, none of the others would have accepted you. There would be no Marauders without me. This is how you repay me?”

Sirius gave a roar, and lifted the sword over his head, plunging it deep into the center of the locket. The smoke specter gave a piercing howl as it fizzled away, the locket losing its lustre as it once again became nothing but metal.

Sirius panted, sweat dripping down his brow. 

“That was most admirable, Mr. Black,” Albus responded, clearing the air. 

Sirius shrugged. “Well, Kreacher, are you satisfied with tonight’s proceedings?”

“Master Regulus’s mission has been completed. Kreacher can rest happy.” He popped out of the kitchen, presumably to bed.

“You’re welcome,” Sirius replied offhand.

“Oh, Sirius!” Lily wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. “You did it.”

Sirius smiled. “I did, but I almost couldn’t. What it was saying, it was what I felt.”

“The locket possibly mirrors your insecurities to protect itself,” Dumbledore mused.

“What changed your mind?” Lily asked.

“That last part, about how we wouldn’t have been friends without him. It’s true, but James would never say that.”

Lily smiled weakly. “No, he wouldn’t. Would he?” She wrapped her arms around Sirius and motioned for him to sit down. Albus offered to destroy the diadem, which proved to be easier.

“Is everything alright in there?” Arthur asked from the other side of the door. “I heard shouting.”

“Perfectly fine, Arthur. We’re just cleaning up and we’ll be on our way!” Albus cheerily replied.

“So, what’s left?” Sirius asked.

Lily and Albus exchanged a glance at each other.

“Well, this means we’ve tackled three. We have three more to go,” Lily responded in an even tone. “What remains is a ring that belonged to Salazar Slytherin, a cup of Helga Hufflepuff’s, and a snake.”

“A snake?” Sirius asked incredulously.

“It’s a big snake.” Lily replied. “The cup is in Gringotts, compliments of your cousin, Bellatrix.” 

Sirius made a noise of irritation. 

“And the snake is near You-Know-Who’s person at all times. So that leaves us with the ring.”

“What’s our plan?” Sirius asked. 

“I was thinking you and I would collect it. Fight the booby traps, do some light curse breaking. It’s going to be a bit more involved than your current schedule.”

“I assume this will be in a few months time?” Albus asked. “I won’t be able to leave Hogwarts as easily in the coming weeks.”

“You won’t be able to leave for suspicious, unsanctioned causes at all once the goon the Ministry’s brought to spy on you swoops in,” Lily remarked. “You might have to sit this one out Albus.”

“Will you be able to manage?” Albus asked. “I could possibly try to get out by September.”

“Albus, we will handle it. You are too important to go on these missions, they’re dangerous.”

“I don’t think I’m yet old enough for you to patronize me, Lulu.” Albus replied peevishly.

“I don’t doubt your capabilities, Albus. But we need you at school, protecting Harry,” Lily said calmly. “Things are going to get worse before they get better.”

“I suppose that is why you considered yourself and Mr. Black the perfect candidates? Because you’re…”

“Expendable,” Sirius interjected. “I would lay down my life for Harry, and so would Lou. You don’t need to Albus.”

Albus relented. “Very well, and I suppose you will be needing the sword?”

“Won’t it be obvious if it’s missing?” Lily asked.

“I have a replica. That should keep up appearances for the time being.” Albus declared. Lily was still unsure.

“Is there a way of destroying it without breaking the artifact itself?” Lily asked. 

“Only if you’re deft enough.” Albus replied. “As for the cup. I think we might have a way of retrieving it.”

“A break in?” Lily asked.

Albus quirked his brow. “My, what an interesting idea. No, I was going to suggest we negotiate with the goblins. I hope you bring that sword back in good condition when you return.”  
——————————————————————-

Sirius arrived at Lily’s flat at noon knocking on the door.

“Are you mad?” She gasped as he strode in.

“I saw Harry off at the station, pardon me if I’m in a bit of a high.” He looked around her flat. “Nice place you’ve got here, it’s only half as cheery as my cell back in Azkaban.”

“It's temporary.”

“I certainly hope so.” He grinned. “You could just move in with me. We have the house to ourselves most of the time, other than for Kreacher. But he’s been even more moody as of late.”

Lily sighed. “Come on, we have to go find the ring.”

“Do you know where we’re going?”

They apparated to Little Hangleton, and Lily carefully traced for magical signatures. It seems Voldemort’s presence lingered even after a year’s absence.

They ventured past the big house and deep into the woods to the shack.

“This place just gets creepier,” Sirius muttered. 

Lily and Sirius scoped out the perimeter, and undid what booby traps they could sense.

When they felt the first layer of curses were undone, they opened the door to reveal a void of darkness. 

“Ladies first,” Sirius said as he motioned his arm.

Lily snorted, and cast Lumos. 

As soon as they stepped into the shack, the door slammed behind them, locking them in. In the shadows, Lily and Sirius could hear the moans of Inferi in stasis. 

But the ring was nowhere to be found.

“I’ll check the floorboards while you check the furniture,” Sirius suggested. 

Lily nodded, and they began their search, ripping through wood until they were attacked by vipers, one biting Lily. She screamed. Sirius transfigured the snakes into beetles, and they continued on. 

Frantically, they upturned the tables and chairs, and ripped through the last of the floorboards until they found it. 

“Don’t touch it!” Lily screamed, clutching her arm in pain. She was beginning to sweat and feel chills. “It’s cursed.”

Sirius nodded, floating the ring into a pouch. As soon as the ring touched the surface of the cloth pouch, the Inferi reanimated, moving towards them. 

Sirius blasted through wall of the shack, and cast Incendio. As the Inferi screamed from the fire, he grabbed Lily, who was beginning to feel very dizzy. She cast her own fireballs, and the Inferi were disposed, falling to the ground and writhing. The smell of burnt flesh lingered in the air. 

Sirius lifted Lily in his arms. “Come on, let’s get you out of here. As loath as I am to admit it, there’s only one person who can help you out of this scrape.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Lily asked breathlessly. She felt her chest constricting.

“I’ll make him.”

Lily felt the pull of apparition, and adjusted her balance to stand as they were back in the parlour of Grimmauld place. 

“We’ll take the floo to Dumbledore’s office. I doubt you could walk across the bridge in your state.”

Lily nodded weakly as she grabbed Sirius’s hand. They stepped across the threshold of the fireplace, and she felt the flush of heat throughout her body. As she fainted, she could hear the bark of a dog.


	6. Forbidden Notes

Lily woke up in a daze to find herself on Albus’s plush Persian rug. She could in her blurred vision see a man kneeling over her, and she smiled. “I missed you,” she murmured.

“Keep your feelings to yourself, Miss Pruitt, the sentiment is not shared.” Snape replied. She could feel him forcing a vial of some slick oily tincture down her throat and gagged. 

Lily shot up and glared at Snape, who looked at her in contempt. 

Sirius was still there, holding the sword in his right hand as he stood next to Albus. 

“Both of you were incredibly foolish coming here today, especially with that woman making her presence felt,” Snape muttered. 

“It’s done.” Lily said, ignoring him and addressing Albus. “We need to destroy it.”

“If you’re feeling better, we can commence now,” Albus replied. “Severus?”

“Is Snape really joining us?” Lily asked.

“Do you oppose my involvement?” Snape asked. “I did save your life.”

“Well, in a roundabout way, I’m saving yours, so I think we’re even,” Lily snapped.

“I’ll not be spoken to this way by Potter’s floozy,” Snape sneered.

Lily laughed. “Is that what you think of me? You are very misinformed, Severus.”

“That’s what you tell everyone, but we all knew what you were.” Snape replied acidly.

“How about I help you get better acquainted with this sword, Snivellus!” Sirius yelled.

Snape raised his wand. “Try me, Black.”

“We need to focus on the task at hand,” Albus chided.

Both men lowered their weapons.

“He’s right,” Sirius agreed, though his eyes looked murderous. “As much as I hate to admit it. We don’t have time for this, Lou.”

Lily nodded, taking a deep breath to calm herself.

Albus opened the pouch and was about to reach for the Horcrux when Lily shouted, “Don’t touch it! It’s cursed.”

Thinking quickly, Albus lifted his wand and floated it into the air, his eyes widening in awe. “Incredible. It’s...I never thought I’d find it here of all places.”

“It will still work, if we can excise it properly,” Lily added.

“Would either of you continue to hold the ring in place?” Albus asked. 

Sirius volunteered, as Albus and Snape worked in a unified motion to unravel the curse guarding the ring. As the light from the countercurse floated like a golden halo, their voices harmonized in a deep melodic chant. Spirits started to float out of the ring, shades Lily had never seen before, and soon there were familiar faces- Ariana, Kendra, Fleamont, Euphemia, James, Lily. The light burst forth from the ring itself, and Lily could feel a pulse of heat emanating out. The spirits floated back inside the ring, inanimate once more.

“We’ll need a blood offering,” said Snape. He looked visibly unnerved seeing the spirits. So was Sirius. Albus was somber.

“I’ll do it,” Lily volunteered.

“You’ve already lost enough blood.” Sirius protested. 

Lily lifted her wand and cast Diffendo on the palm of her hand, allowing the deep crimson gash to smear the ring, absorbing into the Stone. Would it make a difference, having the blood of the Peverells and the Master of Death in her veins?

“It has taken it,” Snape declared. “You can put it down, Black.”

Sirius nodded, and let the ring fall back onto the desk.

“That was...how were they here?” Sirius asked, his voice shaking.

“This, is the Resurrection Stone, isn’t it Albus?” Lily asked rhetorically. 

“It can’t be, that’s just a legend,” Snape dismissed.

“I’m afraid it is, Severus.” Albus answered, staring at it. “And now we must see if it can be salvaged after our efforts. Who would like to strike the final blow?” 

“I will,” Sirius said. He lifted the sword over the Stone, waiting for any resistance. When he found none, he struck the Stone hard, and the loud crack reverberated through the room as a sharp wail emitted from the object. A black wisp of smoke slithered out of the ring, flying out and disappearing into the ether.

No one in the room spoke, afraid they might bring it back. Finally, Albus lifted the ring, and pulled the Stone out of its socket.

“I think I will put this away, for safekeeping.” Albus said. Lily could see the look of longing in Snape’s eyes, and Sirius’s. Perhaps it was for the best it wasn’t in use.

“Lou, your hand.” Sirius remarked. Lily looked down to see her hand was still bleeding. Quickly, she cast a healing charm. It was rough, it left a white scar on her palm.

“We should go.” Lily remarked.

“Please. You’ve long overstayed your welcome.” Snape replied.

“I wouldn’t talk to her like that if I were you Snivelly,” Sirius said angrily.

“Well I'm not sure you’re one to talk either since you are trespassing on school property. And a wanted felon.”

“He’s right.” Lily said before things could escalate. “We will see you soon, Albus.”

“Farewell. I’ll write to you about our next meeting,” Albus replied as he walked them to the fireplace. Snape sneered, turning back out the door.

————————————————————————

As they stepped over the fireplace at Grimmauld, Sirius swore. “That bastard. I’d have killed him right there if I could. I can’t believe he’d bring up James at a time like this”

“I could handle it myself Sirius,” Lily replied. She wrapped her arm around his, leaning into his shoulder. “I’m so proud of you Sirius. That was incredibly brave, what you just did.”

“It was nothing,” Sirius dismissed.

“It was not, and you know it.” She lifted her head up and kissed him. The taste of his lips lingering on hers. Sirius leaned into the kiss, and wrapped his hands around her head as they faced each other. Lily could feel her heartbeat rising. This is everything she had dreamed of for all these years.

“Do you want to continue this somewhere more private?” Lily asked. This was still Order HQ, anyone could walk in. Not that she minded, but it was common courtesy.

“Yes,” Sirius replied, his voice husky as his eyes looked full of desire.

Lily bit her lip, and Sirius clasped her hand as they walked up the stairs together.

They continued to kiss on Sirius’s bed. Buckbeak had been escorted into one of the guest rooms much to his annoyance. 

Lily was breathless, frantic as their hands moved over each other’s bodies and their lips collided, their bodies pressed close together. 

She could feel Sirius’s breath as he was panting, his heartbeat racing. And she was just as excited as he was. 

But when she felt his fingertips brush against her skin, she stopped him.

“I don’t think we should do this,” Lily said nervously.

“Why not?” Sirius asked in disappointment. 

“I mean, I don’t mind fooling around, but is it a good idea to be this physical so soon after you’ve been out?”

Sirius looked indignant. “I’m not an invalid, Lou. I’m fine.”

“Are you?” Lily asked skeptically.

“Alright, I might not ever be normal. I’ll admit that. I have the occasional nightmare. And sometimes I might have a flashback and start feeling a bit overwhelmed, but I’m handling it,” Sirius replied firmly. He rested his hand on her face, and stroked her hair. His other hand was trying to move to places they shouldn’t really be heading. Lily swatted it away.

“Should we talk about it?” Lily asked pointedly.

“There’s nothing to talk about. Other than how I’m going to show you how much I love you,” he grinned as he caressed her. Lily enjoyed the feeling of his touch, but she really should try to stop this.

“You can’t just deflect from this, Sirius. You’re still recovering, and I think it would be irresponsible of me to try anything with you. It would be taking advantage of you.” Lily said.

Sirius looked irritated and moved away from her to the other end of the bed. “I disagree. I think it would be beneficial, for the both of us. I’m sure you’re in need of this as much as I am.”

“What makes you think that?” Lily asked.

“I could see it in your eyes. You want me.” Sirius said, pleased with himself.

“Wanting someone is different than acting on it.” Lily replied.

“Then give in. It doesn’t have to mean anything, if you still don’t feel the same way. I don’t mind. I just want you. We can handle this like adults.” He began to play with her hair.

Lily rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. “I’m married. Or rather I was. Just got divorced, so bully for me.”

Sirius stopped what he was doing. He grimaced. “You weren’t going to tell me?”

“I didn’t want to think about it to be honest. It’s still so raw. It’s just...I’ve been separated all these months and I wanted this, but it's still like a phantom limb.”

“Were you afraid of what I was going to say?” Sirius asked. “Because I’m not angry. And if that’s why you don’t want to be intimate I’d understand. You miss him.”

Lily sat up. “But I don’t miss him, and I want you. So much,” she said desperately. “I never thought I’d see you again.” Her eyes were beginning to water and she sounded pathetic.

Sirius moved towards her and wrapped her in his arms. The tears ran down her face as she nuzzled next to him. He kissed her. “I never expected you to wait for me.”

Lily sniffed. “I know.” She enjoyed staying in his embrace, listening to his heartbeat.

Sirius paused for a beat. “Have there been...other men in your life?”

“A few. No one that meant anything.” Lily replied. “You?”

“A few. Not that many though. I never could keep up with appointments,” Sirius joked. “It seems that time slips away from me.”

“Minutes pass by like hours and vice versa?” Lily grinned. Perhaps being distracted was another form of time travel.

Sirius laughed. “Yes! Once I thought I’d blocked out a date for the weekend, and I went to get dressed twenty minutes before I was supposed to be there. I was running late after we’d come back from an ambush on some Death Eaters- and I check the clock and it’s five days past when I was supposed to meet her. I swear, I wasn’t getting any sleep then.”

“It happens,” Lily agreed. “Though you probably wasted that time trying to fix your hair!”

Sirius nudged her playfully. “Oh come on, it couldn’t have taken that long.”

He looked at her and she looked back. “So are we going to do this?”

Lily thought about it briefly. “We could try.”

Fifteen minutes later, they both finished getting dressed. Sirius summoned his socks as he rolled them on his feet. He slid his robes over his body. Lily pulled her jumper over her head and zipped up her skirt. 

“This has never happened to me before.” Sirius said apologetically. They tried, but with marginal success. Certainly wasn’t as...intense as it was when they were seventeen.

“Have you done anything...since Azkaban?” Lily asked. She didn’t want to sound disappointed. She’d expected his body wouldn’t be in any state for anything, but Sirius looked so dejected.

“No, there wasn’t anyone to do it with. But it will be better next time, I promise.” Sirius said hopefully.

Lily gave him a sad smile. “Maybe it’s for the best we take it slow. There’s no need to rush things.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Sirius agreed weakly. 

Lily leaned over to kiss him. “I was thinking when Remus comes back from his mission we could hang out, like the old days.”

Sirius brightened. “That’d be brilliant. Though we shouldn’t worry him too much about me sneaking out. We’ll have to meet at the house.”

Lily grinned. “Do you think your cousin would be free? I think she’d be a fun addition.”

“Andromeda?” Sirius asked.

“No! Tonks! She seems like a blast. Plus, I think she might fancy Remus.”

Sirius chuckled. “Really? What makes you so sure?”

Lily shrugged, “Just a hunch.”

———————————————————————-

Remus dropped in at the end of the month for his report. Lily wasn’t sure if that was consistent with the timeline, but enough had changed she was on her own from here on out. After the Order meeting, she walked behind him and tapped him on the shoulder as he was talking to Tonks. He turned to face her and she quickly moved to the other side, causing him to shake his head at the empty space. Lily jumped back into his line of vision.

“Do you have a moment?” Lily asked.

Remus smiled weakly. “For you, anything.”

“Could you stay an extra hour or so with me and Sirius, just for a drink? I know things have been a bit tense,  
but you could use the break.” She peered over at Tonks, who was trying to act like she wasn’t listening. “You’re invited too, by the way.”

Tonks jumped in her seat, almost falling over. “Oh, what’s that? Really, I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“Nonsense. As long as we’re not keeping you. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to hang out with us boring olds,” Lily joked.

“We’re not that old,” Remus mumbled.

Tonks snorted. She slyly looked at Remus, who might have noticed, since he was purposely not looking at her. “Maybe I do. Alright, one drink wouldn’t hurt.”

Lily beamed. “Excellent!” 

She lifted her wand and rearranged the room, moving the spare chairs to the wall. She summoned her bag, and pulled out a few boxes of homemade snacks and a large bottle of firewhisky, as well as a bottle of vodka and mixers. “Just in case breathing fire gets to be a bit too much on the throat,” Lily added.

Sirius entered bringing glasses that looked like they hadn’t been in use in decades. “These were the only ones I found that weren’t made with mercury or had any curses holdover from my parents’ days.”

He nodded to Tonks. “Hello, Nymphadora,” 

Tonks frowned. “Sirius. What have I said about using my name.”

“Oh but it’s just so much fun to mess with you,” Sirius teased. He placed the tray on the table. “Moony, should we introduce the girls to The Cardinal and the Sorcerer?”

“Aren’t we a bit old for drinking games, Padfoot?” Remus asked, though he didn’t say no.

“I’ve never heard of this one,” Tonks replied. 

“You wouldn’t have, we made it up,” Sirius replied cheerfully.

“Why’d you never play it with me? It’s not like we didn’t drink at Hogwarts,” Lily asked curiously as Sirius set up the glasses in a straight line, pouring the whisky in shots.

“Nothing personal, Lou.” Sirius said. “We just didn’t want to embarrass ourselves in front of you.”

“More like you didn’t want to embarrass yourself,” Remus corrected. He offered a chair to Tonks and sat down across from her. Lily sat next to Remus. He leaned over and dramatically gave a stage whisper. “It’s because he fancied you.”

“Oh shove off!” Sirius laughed.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.” Lily replied in amusement.

“So, what are the rules?” Tonks asked.

“We go around the circle, and one player- the Cardinal, asks questions of the other players. It will be your choice to confess, or to take a drink. There is also the third option of invoking the sorcerer, which means you will have to have three more shots and impress the crowd with a spell.”

“Last I recall, we stopped playing because you set your bed on fire.” Remus interjected.

Sirius rolled his eyes. “We fixed it, eventually.”

Tonks leaned forward. “Well, I’m sold. How do you choose the Cardinal?”

“We usually shoot sparks, see who casts first, but since you’re the guest of honor, would you like to be the Cardinal?” Sirius asked.

Tonks eyes widened. “Oh! Sure, why not.”

Sirius grinned, something was up his sleeve. She sat down next to Tonks. “Since I’m on your left, you ask me the first question.”

“Why did you make me the Cardinal?” Tonks asked.

“Because you’d ask the easy questions, now onto Louisa.”

“Brilliant, as always Sirius,” Remus replied, arms folded.

Lily leaned over to whisper in his ear. “Seems a bit too pleased with himself.”

“Let’s hope he can keep to one round before invoking the Sorcerer. I’m not in the mood to put out any more fires.” Remus murmured. Lily giggled despite herself, her hand resting on Remus’s arm. 

Tonks narrowed her eyes. “Why are you here? Remus told me you were living in Hong Kong? Why did you come back in time for the war?”

Lily looked at her in confusion. She thought they were getting along. 

“I didn’t plan to come back. It just happened. I had a messy divorce and I thought going back to the UK would be a fresh start.”

“That’s it?” Tonks asked. “You just threw yourself into the war effort just because?”

Lily looked over at Sirius and grinned. “Well, there might be one other reason.” Tonks noticed, and visibly relaxed though she was still suspicious. “Besides, I thought it was one question per turn.” Lily continued.

“You’re right!” Sirius said. “Tonks, for your transgressions, you must take a shot, your tenure is over and succession goes to the person on your left, myself.”

Tonks reluctantly downed the shot. “This game is bloody complicated.”

Remus looked apologetic.

“Remus…” Sirius was giddy. “Are you seeing anyone?” 

Remus sighed. “No, you know as well as I do I am not.”

Lily and Sirius looked over at Tonks, who was nervous, jittery. Remus was retreating inward. They were going to have to give them more of a push. 

“Tonks...do you fancy anyone? In this room perhaps?”

“Are you coming on to me?” Tonks asked.

“No.” Sirius replied in surprise.

“I certainly hope not!” Lily added lightly.

“Sirius, don’t harass the poor girl. I’m sorry, Tonks. You don’t have to answer that.” Remus interrupted.

Tonks’s hair turned a brighter shade of pink, and she downed another shot. “Why am I the only one getting drunk here?” She asked. 

“Asking questions out of turn means another drink,” Sirius added.

“Can’t I invoke the bloody wizard of whatnot?” Tonks asked.

“What will you show for us?” Sirius asked.

Tonks thought about it. “I haven’t tried this one in years…”

Slowly, her face transformed into a horse - elongated nose and long flowing mane as she opened her mouth to let out a neigh. The others clapped, laughing as Tonks reverted back.

The game continued, and each of them had a chance to invoke their skills. Sirius enchanted the glasses to empty as soon as they were poured onto people’s pants (mostly Remus’s).

Lily showed off her ability to mimic people’s voices, and surprised them with what she considered a rather good Snape impression. It was certainly worth it being able to say silly things in his voice.

And Remus used his invocation to tell jokes. Very bad jokes.

“I’m not sure that counts as a skill, mate.” Sirius ribbed. 

“Oh? What would you know about comedy, Sirius?” Remus teased.

“Who planned our pranks?” Sirius asked in mock indignation, standing up.

“James.”

Sirius frowned. “Well, I had a few good ones too,” he huffed. He sat back down, only to find Remus had vanished his chair. “You’re losing your touch, Moony! That was amateur!” Sirius shouted from the floor.

“You fell for it,” Remus noted.

“Because I’m drunk, but you won’t get me next time!” 

“Was that a pun?” Tonks asked.

“It might have been,” Remus replied. 

They left the table to dance in the parlour. Lily turned on the radio and fiddled with the settings to play Muggle music.

“Coming up, a nonstop block of classic ‘80s hits!”

Lily grabbed Sirius by the hand and started to dance with him. “I love this one, dance with me.”

They twirled around the room. Remus and Tonks watched, standing close to each other but not doing anything. It was maddening. Tonks swayed to the synth sounds, humming to herself. 

“Oh I like this one, I used to listen to it in primary school.”

Remus cringed. 

Tonks turned to him. “Dance with me?” Reluctantly, he agreed. 

Things were going well, until the next song played. The pounding drum and bass line made both Remus and Sirius stop what they were doing.

“Have they found us?” Remus asked nervously, summoning his and Tonks’s coats. 

“Impossible. The wards alone are impenetrable, but maybe it’s not for us.” Sirius replied, putting away the snacks and glasses strewn across the table.

“What’s going on?” Lily asked as the music soared, the beat pounding.

“It’s on Muggle radio,” Tonks replied. “It’s probably a false alarm.” She waved her wand and it tuned back to the wireless- Celestine Warbeck crooning placidly. “It’s fine.”

Sirius and Remus looked at each other, and breathed a sigh of relief. Sirius wrung his hands. “Right. Sorry about that.”

“What’s this all about?” Lily asked again.

“I forget you weren’t here during the war,” Remus said. “After the attacks started to ramp up, when the war was at its bloodiest, this song started to play on the wireless - seemingly at random. An hour later, a Death Eater attack would occur.”

“It was a warning,” Sirius added. “For Order members and the like. But there would be mass broadcasts before the public attacks too. Sometimes after it would play, they just cancelled those altogether since the element of surprise was gone.”

Lily frowned. “That’s impossible. This song came out after the war. Who broadcasted it?”

“No one knows,” Remus answered. “They’d have to be able to hijack the wireless’s signal, and know the movements of the Death Eaters. None of the Order members admitted to doing it.”

“And if it was a Death Eater, they certainly wouldn’t have.” Sirius said. “And they probably wouldn’t use a Muggle song anyway if that’s what this is.”

“But it saved lives. Marlene and her family escaped before the Death Eaters could raid their house, same goes for Benjy and Fabian.”

Lily wondered how she’d never met Fabian in her life. Wouldn’t she have some retroactive memories from creating this paradox? She had never changed things drastically enough to have two sets of memories before, so she wasn’t sure. She shook her head. “But why Blue Monday?”

Remus shrugged. “No idea, but after the war I couldn’t listen to the song without having a bloody panic attack.”

“My parents were the same way,” Tonks added. “Especially when it got so big a few years later.”

Lily was perplexed. It would be impossible for anyone to have heard that song before 1983. Except for maybe her and...

————————————————————————

November, 1977

Lily had snuck out of the Gryffindor tower to the Room of Requirement. He was running late.

As the door opened, she said in exasperation, “I thought you’d be a no show.”

“It’s hard to sneak out without the others asking questions.” 

James threw the cloak onto the floor and pulled out a scroll from his bag, as well as a quill and inkwell.

“For what it’s worth, this is insane,” Lily said, biting her lip.

“If we succeed, then it will be worth it,” James insisted. 

“I’ve never changed anything this big though,” Lily protested.

“Then why not start now? Look, you were the one who felt guilty and confessed to me. You didn’t have to tell me of my untimely demise.” James said pointedly.

Lily frowned. “I know, I’m sorry, but…”

“But nothing. We can fix this.” James said with determination, his hazel eyes shining golden. “There’s still time to save everyone, and we can do it together.Just think of it- it will be the ultimate prank, cheating death.”

Lily was uncertain.

“So, what do you remember that’s going to happen?” James asked, dipping his quill in ink. 

“Well, we learned a basic timeline of events from History of Magic, but I remembered a few other details from the books I read on my own…”

————————————————————

March, 1977

They were planning. James has contingencies that sounded crazy to be sure- jinxed trapdoors, booby traps, and a growing list of enchantments they were working on. Lily had loved troubleshooting with her brother, and their raw experiments in technomancy were keeping them occupied. She’d never seen James so consumed by something like this in the few months she knew him.

“So you’re saying magic is a wave?” James asked as he fiddled with a transistor.

“Magic is a current and a wave, and that’s why it interferes with Muggle electronics.” Lily explained. “Most devices we use try to work around it by running at a lower voltage than their Muggle counterparts, but if we can change the frequency…”

“How do you do that?” James asked.

“A microprocessor, but now we’re in the era of the superhet. The waves are picked up by the antenna, then mixed through the oscillator to get the right frequency. I’m not too familiar with old technology, but I know a little about boosting the magical structures though that’s it.”

James grinned. “Then it’s just a problem we’ll have to solve together. I have a few ideas on improvements for materials. Some of these metals don’t conduct magic as well as others.”  
—————————————————————-

April, 1977

Lily tested out their new project, a handheld magical signal booster and dampener. It could short circuit nearby devices- magical and Muggle, and while it had yet to unbalance wands or dampen the powers of wizards, it did stop broadcasts. 

Lily took out her cassette tape and played a song. 

“That’s nice, what is it?” James asked as he turned the knob of the device.

“It’s by the Muggle band Duran Duran.” Lily replied.

“Never heard of them.”

“You wouldn’t have. This song comes out in 1983, no one can hear this.” Lily replied. 

“Then why do you have a tape of it?” James asked.

“I keep taped of songs from all the decades I like. No one listens to them but me. If anyone heard them now, before they come out, it would probably cause some sort of paradox.”

“So you’d say I’m listening to forbidden music?” James teased.

Lily rolled her eyes. “In a sense, yes. Turn it on.”

James turned on the dial and watched as the music distorted. He moved the dial further until the cassette player started to smoke, the burning heat melting the plastic inside the tape as Lily dropped it. 

“Too much amplitude,” Lily said. She gingerly picked it up and cast Reparo.

“We should throw a party.” James declared, as they were troubleshooting late into the night.

“You’re delirious.” Lily replied as she soldered the copper wires with her wand.

“Maybe, but it’s still a good idea. You were telling me of that party that scientist threw for Time Travellers…”

“Stephen Hawking. He threw a party and announced it the next day. It was proof that if time Travellers existed, they’d have attended.”

“We should do that. Dress up, invite everyone, we could even play some of these forbidden notes…”

“Isn’t that being a bit too obvious?” Lily asked.

“It’s exactly why it would work! No one would question it. Besides, it’s not like anyone would remember, it’s just music.”

“What should we call it? Time Traveller’s Ball is a bit on the nose.”

“The Time Bash?” James suggested. 

“No,” Lily shook her head. “Time Warp would be too obvious too.” She saw James’s look of confusion and grinned. “Remind me to take you to see Rocky Horror when we can.”

“I guess it doesn’t need a name as long as you are there,” James said.

Lily paused. “The Party don’t start til I walk in...I got it! We’ll call it the Quantum Party.”

“The Quantum Party? That has potential.” James agreed.

Lily nodded, turning on the tape. “We can sort out the details after we finish this test. I have a good feeling about this one.”


	7. La Veuve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> La Veuve- the widow, a colloquial name for the Guillotine

—————-/————————————/——————-

Lily and Albus arranged a meeting with Gringotts’s head of Acquisitions as soon as they possibly were able to. With the war and running the school, Albus was spread thin - and the Goblins made it impossible to schedule a meeting in the first place. 

The meeting had to be conducted in secret, in the offices on the subterranean levels where the executives worked. They were escorted by a teller from the front desk down to the depths below via cart. It was evident they were taking the long way down as a point of intimidation. Unlike wizards, Goblins enjoyed the dim lighting and preferred not to use enchantments to fake sunlight, opting for kerosene lamps.

Hrafn greeted them with the usual pleasantries and they got into the task at hand.

“You know I am unable to just give you an item out of another account member’s vault.” Hrafn said once they had explained their goal. “That goes against all banking codes.

“Assets from criminal parties are subject to seizure in the event of incarceration,” Lily pointed out.

“Seizure by the Ministry, not third parties, which I suspect you are. You might have had a case as Chief Warlock during wartime, but your government says there is no war.” Hrafn grinned maliciously.

“What if we were to provide a trade?” Albus asked.

Hrafn peered over his spectacles. “I assumed this was why you called the meeting in the first place. What do you propose?”

“Three goblin made artefacts. Two in less than adequate condition, one a prized heirloom.” Albus replied shrewdly.

“This is not a pawn shop. You could take your wares elsewhere,” Hrafn growled. Lily took out the diadem and the locket from her bag. 

Hrafn sneered at the items, before gingerly examining them. “Where did you get these?”

“That is of no concern to yourself. I trust your craftsmen will be able to repair them to their former glory?”

“Of course!” Hrafn replied indignantly. “Practically child’s play.”

“Then consider this collateral. We will also return the item back to the Goblin nation as soon as it has been purified, along with the Sword of Gryffindor once the trade is completed.”

Hrafn dropped the fragment of the diadem in his hand. He stopped breathing for a moment, stunned.

“You can verify its authenticity?”

“Certainly. And I am willing to allow a goblin appraiser to examine it with supervision.” Albus replied cheerily.

“No need,” Hrafn replied moodily. Lily assumed they would want to verify in-house so they could steal it back.

Hrafn opened the drawer to his desk and pushed the diadem and locket inside. “You can return with the sword, we will provide the cup. Normally, we would ask the vault owner’s permission, but Mrs. Lestrange is indisposed.”

“Retrieval will not be an issue for you?” Lily asked curiously.

Hrafn found the question amusing. “Of course not. We are immune to any personal safeguards account holders place. How else would we collect our maintenance fees?”

As they returned to Albus’s office via floo, Lily pondered over a possible dilemma. “We can’t give them the sword until after Yule. That’s our only chance to kill the snake.”

“How so?” Albus asked. Lily explained the possibility of an attack on December, without specifying who might be attacked. For all she knew maybe Grandad wouldn’t even be patrolling this time around.

“Judging by your explanation, I assume you would like to dispose of Nagini?” Albus asked. Fawkes cawed at the idea, displeased for some reason.

“Well, yes.” Lily replied. 

“And how would you explain entering the Ministry after hours despite not holding a position?” Albus asked rhetorically.

“Polyjuice?” Lily suggested. 

Albus sighed. “I can’t vouch for you if you’re arrested, especially not after Podmore. But I’ll see if Severus has any in his stores.”

“You don’t need to worry so much, Albus. Worse comes to worse I will manage.” Lily reassured him.

“That’s what concerns me.” Albus took off his spectacles and wiped them with a silk handkerchief embroidered with stars and a monogram.

“I remember that,” Lily remarked. “That was a scrap from one of your mother's old robes. Ariana begged her for it for days until she relented, and then she spent the week ignoring her chores, embroidering stars.”

Albus stopped. “Did she?” He asked wistfully.

“She wanted to make something for you that shined as bright as you were- her words not mine,” Lily laughed, then sighed. 

“You were kind to her,” Albus said softly. “And I thank you for that. Especially once mother…”

“It was nothing,” Lily dismissed. “You would have done the same in my position. I’m grateful to you for convincing Kendra to take me in.”

“I couldn’t abandon you there,” Albus replied. “You were disoriented and alone. When I first saw you, I thought you might have been mad, you were asking me all these questions.”

They were silent for a moment before Albus spoke up. 

“How effective have your previous efforts been?”

Lily blinked. “Somewhat. Not as successful as I hope, but there are overall positive effects.”

“Did you try, with Ariana?”

“I did, and I failed. She passed in both timelines. I won’t explain how it happened the first time. You would not want to know. But in this time she went on her own terms.”

“And James?” Albus asked pointedly. “I remember you two were close, though I never asked you about your relationship to him.”

“I learned my lesson. Sometimes it is best to let fate run its course.” Lily replied. This was in fact, a lie. She had told James everything and in the end she had failed, again. Granted, some lives were saved but to her the life that mattered the most was gone.

Albus nodded. “A difficult choice. One that I myself would not have made if given the chance.”

“Life is full of difficult choices,” Lily replied. “Harry will certainly have to face his own.”

“I’m painfully aware of that. I suppose you also have the same suspicions about the bond between Harry and Voldemort?” Albus asked.

“Yes. No true possession would allow for full consciousness. Harry must be a Horcrux,” Lily confirmed. 

Albus places his hands in his head. “What am I going to do about the poor boy? He can’t...we can’t destroy him, but there is no other way.”

“He must confront Voldemort once and for all. Neither can live while the other survives.”

“That’s the missing piece isn’t it?” Albus asked. Lily nodded grimly. 

“We can only hope he uses the Killing Curse.” Lily said. She could give Albus a bit of hope, tell him that Harry survives and she’s the result. But should she? Harry’s sacrifice hinged on not knowing he would survive. The less that knew the better. Come to think of it, she had never mentioned her parents to Albus in the many, many years she knew him. He had never asked.

Albus pulled open his drawer and took out the Resurrection Stone, staring at it. “You’ve given me a great deal to think about, Lulu. Thank you, for everything.”

Lily stood up. “Let me know when you’re ready and we’ll sort out the details about the Ministry visit.”

“Calling it a visit is a bit of a misnomer,” Albus replied lightly. “But from your projected timeline, you’ll probably have to patrol with Arthur. You remember him, don’t you?”

Lily chuckled. “Yes, charming man. I think we’ll get along.”

———————/————————————————-

Lily was surprised how easy it was to walk into the Ministry of Magic with a sword. Granted, it was hidden in a guitar case and she was Polyjuiced, but security was still quite lax compared to what she was used to. No wand scans, no pat downs, no sentinel lenses watching one’s every move. Perhaps these were measures put in place by Aunt Hermione.

Lily had taken the identity of one of Fabian’s exes who worked for the Department of Magical Games and Sports who approved lesser tournaments, such as Professional Gobstones. He had been surprisingly willing to donate her hair when Lily had asked, and didn’t even need to know why she needed it other than for Order Business. She was on holiday in Spain and would be out of the office so Lily could claim she ‘forgot something,’ and enter the building. She would hide in one of the conference rooms (they were hardly in use, even when it wasn’t so close to the holidays) and Arthur would rendezvous with her at the Hall of Prophecy after hours. Her years of practically living in the Ministry for work were finally providing dividends.

Lily sat, and waited. She stared at the ceiling, thinking about every little thing that could go wrong. She could die, not a big deal in itself. Arthur could die, a very big deal. The snake could live. She and Arthur could get arrested. Really, it could go either way at this point.

Lily heard the click of the door as it opened and jumped, quietly rolling on the floor into the shadows, underneath the desk.

“We better make this quick, Lucius,” a man urged.

“I’ll make it worth your while. How long do you think you could arrange for a private conversation between myself and Ewan Sweeting?” Malfoy asked, his voice slick and full of aggression.

Sweeting was the warden of Azkaban. Lily had always assumed they had been able to get the Dementos to defect of their own, but perhaps it was more of an inside job than expected.

“How much are we talking here?” He asked.

“Fifty galleons.” Lucius replied swiftly.

“Tuesday at the latest. It might take some time for him to leave the island.” The man whispered.

“Time is the one thing I am lacking. Tell him to arrive sooner, or I will halve my initial offer.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.”

The two left the room, locking the door behind them. Sighing at the close call, Lily stayed under the desk for an hour until it was time to go. She checked both sides of the hall, and marched to the lift.

“Oh, it’s you,” Arthur said mildly as the met at the Black door to the Department of Mysteries.

“It is,” Lily replied with amusement. She lifted her wand, and the door opened, recognizing her signature. That was one constant of the Department. Once an employee, you had access across time. Though no one officially had tested this theory besides herself. Not anyone who lives afterwards.

Arthur was shocked. “How did you…”

“Hold onto my hand, Arthur. The room tends to spin.”

It seemed like the room would spin in a random direction. It didn’t, it would just randomize for intruders. But if one knew the quirks, they could focus and lean in the direction they wanted to get to where they intended to go. Of course, it only lead to the main chambers- Love, Death, Planets, Brain, and Prophecy. The smaller rooms and offices could only be accessed by visualizing the specific room in one’s head, and the room would spin to reveal the door. Lily wondered who was in her office now. Would it be Bode?

“We’re here,” Lily remarked as she dragged Arthur to the Hall of Prophecy. “Have you been here before?” She asked as she noticed him staring at the rows and rows of glass orbs. They both cast Lumos.

“No, but it seems you have,” Arthur noticed. Lily shrugged. They wandered across the shelves until they found the one they were looking for, labeled with Harry’s name and all. 

“Not very subtle,” Arthur joked.

“They had to file it away properly. It’s not like there’s anyone else who defeated You-Know-Who, process of elimination, I’d assume,” Lily grinned. She knew Myra, the Keeper of the Prophecy would be livid if she could see how flippant she was acting. 

Arthur gave a snort. “Our taxes hard at work.”

“All joking aside, it really is important, Lily murmured. “We’ll need to be quiet just until we know what we’re dealing with.” Lily quietly removed the sword from her bag to Arthur’s surprise. She raised her finger to her mouth and shushed him. 

“Where did you get that?” Arthur whispered.

“Oh, it was just lying around,” Lily replied casually.

Contrary to what she expected, they waited a long time before anything happened. Harry has been lucky to enter the scene rather quickly as soon as he fell asleep, so he hadn’t had to experience the drudgery of standing and guarding.

“So, when you visited a few months ago, what was that?” Arthur asked. 

“If I said Order Business, would you drop the questioning?” Lily replied.

“Not bloody likely, since I’m in the Order too. Why’d you need Sirius?”

“Because it was his house,” Lily replied. It technically wasn’t a lie. “We had to...exorcise a dark artifact.”

“Like the diary?” Arthur asked. “Was it safe to do that there?”

“I wouldn’t say it was like that at all, and it was perfectly safe,” Lily replied reassuringly. She hoped the snake wasn’t in earshot. “It was more standard spirits and possession. Nothing too dire.”

Arthur didn’t seem to believe her, but nodded. “Fabian was talking about you the other day,” he added casually.

“Was he?” Lily asked, pretending not to know what he was implying. 

“I’m biased because he’s my brother-in-law, but he’s a very nice young man.” Arthur remarked. 

“I’m sure he is,” Lily agreed. “But I’m afraid I’m spoken for.”

In the distance, she could hear the rustling underneath them. She gripped the hilt of the sword. “Raise your wand and keep the light on, we might have company,” she whispered.

She could hear it moving rapidly, it was fast. Lily could only hope she was faster. She saw the shadow of it slithering as the light danced across its scales. Lily lifted the sword above her head, hiding in the darkness away from Arthur’s light.

The snake jumped, fangs open, ready to strike as it hissed.

Thwack!

Lily heard the thud as its head rolled on the ground, it’s body writhing as it let out an otherworldly scream. 

Lily turned to Arthur, who was transfixed in shock. “Let’s get out of here.”

Arthur closed his mouth and nodded, grabbing her hand as they exited out the side door to the Wizengamot chamber, then to the atrium and back to the loo. They ran out the Ministry, not even taking a glance back, even though the threat was gone. They stood outside the statue of Viscount Montgomery, trying to catch their breath, Lily still gripping the sword with white knuckles, blood comparing the metal and running down her robes.

“That was…” Arthur couldn’t articulate what he had wanted to say, he was still out of breath.

“Yes, it was. I suppose it will be a bit of a scandal tomorrow morning,” Lily replied.

“If the Prophet chooses to cover it,” Arther said.

“Would be in our favor if they didn’t,” Lily countered. She extended her hand towards Arthur, who shook it.

“Cheers,” she said as she bit him farewell.

“Will we be seeing you over the holidays?” Arthur asked.

“I think so,” Lily grinned. “I think I’ve grown rather fond of you Weasleys after all.”

——-/—————————————————————/

The Dark Lord was displeased at the loss of his familiar. He was inconsolable and wanted revenge.

“Who did this?” Voldemort seethed as he screamed to his followers. “I want their head on a plate, as well as the rest of the Order. Severus, who is responsible?”

Severus was impassive most of the time, but his disdain was palpable. “A new member, my Lord. She had attended Hogwarts briefly around the same time as myself, but very little is known about what she did afterwards. Her name is Louisa Pruitt.”

Voldemort glared at him. “What do you know about this woman, Severus?”

“Nothing of note,” Snape replied testily. “I barely knew her in school. But she was acquainted with Potter and his ilk.”

“I could tell you.”

Voldemort turned to the smaller man hiding in the corner. “I see you are proving yourself useful once more, Wormtail. What do you know?”

Wormtail’s eyes lit up. “Everything. Louisa was one of my closest friends. I know her strengths and her weaknesses.”


	8. Yám sing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yám sing- cheers, or bottoms up

The last of the Horcruxes was destroyed before the Yule holidays. Lily was to meet at Hrafn’s office after hours. Albus was unable to attend both due to his duties as Headmaster, and because they agreed he should not be there in case the deal fell through. The last thing they needed was for this to be a trap by the Ministry to arrest Albus.

The cup was placed on the desk.

Lily cast the diagnostic, and it glowed the eerie blue light she knew well. This was it.

“With your permission, we would like to destroy the forces inside, and afterwards it’s remains and the sword are all yours.” Lily requested.

“As per agreement,” Hrafn replied. “We would, for liability’s sake, like to notarize this as a magical contract should Mrs. Lestrange come to collect her property. Would you be willing to sign your name?” His grin was menacing as he thrust a quill towards her.

Lily steadied herself, this wouldn’t be a simple signature. “Yes.”

Lily looked at the contract. Standard legalese moving all responsibility away from Gringotts. Fair enough. “Do you have an inkwell?”

“No need.” Hrafn answered gleefully.

As soon as Lily moved the nib across its surface she knew it was a blood quill. She gasped, but continued as she felt the stinging sensation. She wondered how Harry could cope writing lines on one of these.

She threw the quill back at the goblin. “There. Step back, you wouldn’t want to get caught by accident.”

Hrafn smirked as he rolled up the contract. “It would be a pity.”

Lily lifted the sword above her head and with a clang shattered the cup in two. As the other half rolled off the desk, a blood curdling scream emitted from the cup, as well as a dark wisp that disappeared.

“As an impartial party to wizard politics, Gringotts does not take a side in any magical conflict. However, we do not take kindly to those who trespass on our premises or violate our terms of service.” Hrafn noted.

“Such as Voldemort?” Lily asked, picking up the remains of the cup and placing them on the desk. She handed the sword to the goblin.

“Consider our discretion of your activities a parting gift. Will you assume magical guardianship over Mr. Potter’s account as his next of kin?” Hrafn asked.

Lily stared at him. “How could you possibly…”

“You were added as a nominee to the main Potter vault at the behest of Fleamont Potter prior to his demise in 1979. However, you were unable to be found, so you were not informed. I checked. We did try to find you.” 

Lily shifted nervously. “What do you want?”

“Nothing, my business is concluded with you. But should you decide to gain custody of Mr. Potter, we would like to be informed. Certain documents addressed to yourself in the main Potter vault can only be accessed by the main account holder, which is currently Mr. Potter himself. He will have to collect them for you.”

“I have…letters addressed to me?” Lily asked.

“You are Louisa Pruitt?”

“...Yes, I am.”

“Then they are for you. Farewell, Miss Pruitt. I would like for our paths to never cross again.” Lily gave a nod and dismissed herself from the office, practically running back to her mine cart.

Lily wondered how she would ask Harry for the letters as she made her way back. She stopped by the market to pick up a few last minute items and headed to Grimmauld Place.

“I’m back!” She shouted, only to have Walburga’s portrait call her some tired old insult.

Sirius greeted her, grabbing her by the waist and twirling her into a kiss as she dropped the shopping bags.

“Watch it! You’ll break the eggs. Then we’ll have nothing to bake!” Lily laughed as she playfully pushed him away. He stole another kiss.

“Why bother?” Sirius asked. “It’s not like you’ll be able to when Molly gets her hands on the stove.”

“Well, I’ll have to get in early then to make my famous egg tarts, char siu bao, yù jiǎo, har gow, lotus rice, and fried squid.”

“Are you really going to make all of that?” Sirius asked.

“Well, I did get takeout from Royal China. But it’s the best place in London, I swear. And the other stuff is just to stock up the fridge.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’ll take that. You set the table.”

They ate, and Sirius couldn’t help but be excited that Harry would return soon.

“I was thinking, maybe if I can get out of this mess, maybe we can think about making this place a home for Harry.”

Lily picked at her food, not wanting to look at Sirius. “Is that a good idea?”

“Well, I’m his godfather, and evidently you’re related enough that the blood protection works. And we seem to be getting along...why not make a go of it?” Sirius grinned.

“I can think of many reasons why,” Lily snapped. “Would Harry even want to be adopted? He’s fifteen, it seems a bit pointless now doesn’t it?”

“Have you met his relatives? They’re awful. And I promised him. Plus, I think James would have wanted it.”

“Would he?” Lily asked. “Or do you want it?”

“They’re not mutually exclusive, Lou.” Sirius replied in exasperation. “I’m not sure why you’re opposed to this. You like Harry!”

“I do, but it’s complicated. We’ve barely reconnected, you’re still recovering, it’s not really the best environment to bring a child into, especially someone like Harry who has his own needs.”

“Harry isn’t an invalid, he’d be fine.” Sirius said.

“Well, maybe I don’t want the responsibility. We never discussed children because frankly, we are nowhere far enough in our relationship to do so, but have you considered I might not want this?” Lily asked.

Sirius frowned. “Is that why your marriage ended?”

Lily pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. “It’s none of your business, but that was one reason among many. It was a lot of little things that just built up on top of each other, until it collapsed.” 

She stood up and took their plates. The Muggle way, she didn’t want to deal with him. “We’ll talk about this later.”  
  


The children arrived the next day, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in tow. Lily wondered if they minded a little more staying in London this time around. Last time, Arthur had needed to stay in the city due to his attack. This Arthur was well enough to take his and Molly’s bags. Hermione was not present much to her surprise, but Lily assumed there had been no reason for her to cancel her ski trip.

As they settled in, Lily noticed Harry was sullen and withdrawn. She noticed the scars on the back of his hand. Umbridge had set her sights on him then in this timeline as well.

“Harry!” She greeted him warmly, and he looked at her in surprise. 

“Oh, Louisa. I didn’t expect you’d be here.” Harry said.

“I wanted to spend Christmas with my favorite person in the world,” Lily grinned. 

“And what am I? Chopped dragon liver?” Sirius asked. “Hello, Harry.”

“Hi, Sirius.” Harry gave him a hug. Lily knew she had no reason to be upset, but it did hurt a little. “Could I talk to you later, in private?”

Sirius and Lily exchanged glances, and he nodded. “Sure thing, whenever you want.”

Harry nodded, “Later.” He joined Ron and tried to go back to dismiss them.

Molly corralled the members of the household into decorating, and that kept everyone busy for the time being.

When they had finished the tree and the tinsel, Molly enlisted Lily and Ginny in helping her prep the big dinner. 

“I heard you didn’t allow anyone in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley,” Lily joked.

“Of course not, dear. But I do need someone to cut the vegetables. And no magic, I can tell.” Molly teased.

Ginny looked peeved, but set out to tackle the mountain of potatoes and carrots, while Lily was left with the celery and onions, which she breezed through.”

“No tears,” Molly commented with approval.

Lily blew a bubble Drooble’s Best Bubble Gum. “Always chew gum while cutting onions, it helps.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I hope you and Sirius don’t mind, I invited my brother, Fabian for dinner. The holidays aren’t always kind to him.”

“I think that’s something to ask Sirius, not me, but I think he won’t mind.” Lily replied.

“Are you not together?” Molly asked, obviously prying.

“We are, but I’m not his wife, I’m really more of an extended guest.”

Molly did not seem to approve of the concept. “Ginny, why don’t you go join the others?”

Eagerly, Ginny dropped the knife on the counter and ran.

“Are things alright between you two?” Molly asked.

“Never better,” Lily replied. “These are done by the way.”

“Drop them in the stockpot,” Molly said, dismissively saving her hand. “But Sirius isn’t exactly... stable is he?”

“Sirius is perfectly fine. And yes, I am aware you might not agree with our arrangement, but I’m not going to leave because of it. The kids aren’t going to be traumatized or anything. They have more important things to deal with.”

“Very well then. Why don’t you help me get the innards out of the turkey? I’ll start with the pudding.”

Christmas dinner was cheery. Certainly more like what Lily remembered from her own childhood, even with Mundungus’s enchanted fairies flitting about the house.

Fabian arrived around seven with a bottle of wine and air kissed her as a greeting. He reminded her a lot of Uncle Bill, but with a bit more of a yuppie look. Neatly tailored robes and a well maintained haircut, and brown eyes like Molly’s. 

“You look lovely as ever, Louisa.” Fabian winked. 

“I’ll tell Molly you’re here.” She looked at the bottle. “Does red pair with turkey?”

Fabian shrugged. “You’d know more than I would.”

They made their way to the table, where Fabian was greeted by his nephews and niece, while Lily sat next to Sirius.

“No, please. Make yourself at home,” Sirius mumbled.

“It’s only polite we invited him,” Lily said.

“He invited himself,” Sirius countered.

“Did Harry get to talk to you about whatever he had wanted to before?” Lily asked. 

Sirius poured himself a glass of wine. “Hmm? Oh yes, it was just guy stuff. Needed some advice on a girl he’s seeing.”

Lily wondered if it was Cho this time around.

“Anything I could help with?” Lily asked.

Sirius gave her a strange look. “Harry did mention you, but we’ll talk about it later.”

Dinner was served promptly, and Molly certainly outdid herself. The food was excellent, and everyone was having a good time.

Fred and George, it was so strange to see both of them, were discussing their latest idea to Fabian, the Portable Swamp, and asking for feedback. Sirius offered his own tips when Fabian proved to be more or less just a friendly ear. At least he wasn’t bored.

“Not much into pranks?” Lily asked.

“Afraid not. Gideon was more into that sort of thing. I preferred animals.”

“Like Charlie,” Lily mused.

“Oh? Have you met him?” Fabian asked.

“I’ve heard of him.” Lily replied, realizing she almost gave herself away. “But I hadn’t heard of Gideon.”

Fabian gave a wistful smile. “He was my, mine and Molly’s brother. We were twins, you know. He passed away during the war.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.” Lily replied. Some people must have missed their warnings, or just couldn’t be saved.

“It’s alright. How could you know? It’s fine most of the time, it’s just hard to think about it on these sort of days, especially now.” Fabian said. 

“I was married to a twin,” Lily said offhand.

“Were you?” Fabian asked, curious. “Was it difficult, telling the two of them apart?”

“Certainly not. I could pride myself in telling them apart even when their mother couldn’t.” Lily beamed.

“Is that so?” Fabian asked, amused.

“Of course. In fact, they made it a challenge. They’d switch places, and I’d have to guess who was who. I always made the right choice. At least I think I did. Though come to think of it, maybe there’s a reason we aren't married anymore.”

Startled, Fabian burst out laughing. Molly looked across the table in disappointment. 

After dinner, they went to the now Boggart-free Parlour to sing carols. Lily went to the piano and took over the role of accompanist.

They started with the staples, God Rest Ye Merry Hippogriffs, and so on, as Molly brought out the egg nog. Fabian made his goodbyes, and the children were getting bored of the carols, so Lily offered to take requests.

“Do you know the Wyrd Sisters?” Ron asked.

“Sure do!” Lily replied as she started banging on the piano to one of her favorites that she used to hear frequently in Uncle Ron’s house.

Ginny stood up. “I love this song!” 

Eagerly she ran up to dance. Lily laughed, unable to help herself.

“Are you going to dance all alone? Don’t you want a partner?” Lily asked as she continued to play.

“I don’t need one!” Ginny chimed back.

“No you don’t, but having one is still fun. Harry, why don’t you go up there?” Lily suggested.

Harry was blushing a deep crimson, but politely stood up from the couch and joined Ginny in awkwardly swaying to the music and moving his arms. Both were a foot apart, not touching. Lily shook her head. They’d figure it out, eventually.

Sirius had moved to sit next to her on the piano bench.

“Any requests?” She asked.

“Surprise me,” Sirius replied.

_1977_

“I’ve got one,” Lily suggested as she played the opening chords on the piano in the Potter’s drawing room. “It’s a new song, but you might like it.”

“Then play it before we get bored!” James urged.

“Indoor voice, Jamie,” Euphemia mildly admonished as she skimmed Potions Today on the chaise. Fleamont tapped his wand against his pipe as smoke started to puff.

“Is this a Muggle song? Splendid.” He said.

“Sounds too slow, could you play something uptempo?” Sirius asked.

“Maybe next time,” Lily said.

_“Slow down you crazy child, you’re so ambitious for a juvenile- but if you’re so smart, tell me why are you still so afraid? Mmhm.”_

_1996_

_“You’ve got your passion, you’ve got your pride, but don’t you know that only fools are satisfied. Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true, Oohooh. When will you realize? Vienna waits for you.”_ Lily sang. 

Sirius rested his head on her shoulder. “I remember that Christmas. It was when I fell for you.”

“I won’t ever forget it,” Lily agreed. 

He leaned over to kiss her, much to the disgust of Harry and the other children.

“Hey!” Lily objected. “One day when you’re old enough, we won’t object when you’ll want to show affection to your loved ones.”

“Hopefully we won’t have to see it,” Fred replied. 

“We have to shield our innocent eyes from such wanton depravity,” George added.

“Quite unseemly,” Fred agreed.

Lily rolled her eyes, and Sirius kissed her again for good measure.

When the song ended, Lily played a few more upbeat rock songs, and ended on A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love, trying to get a singalong going, with moderate success. Mostly Fred and George ruining the song with a high, off-pitch duet to which Molly herded the children off to bed. 

“Goodnight!” Lily waved as they headed up the stairs. “Harry, could I talk to you?”

“Yes?” He asked nervously. Why was he nervous?

“How’s the DA going?” Lily asked.

Harry’s eyes widened under his glasses. “Did Sirius tell you?”

“I won’t tell anyone, I promise. But if you need any ideas for lessons, I have a few spells I could teach you.” Lily offered.

“That would be great,” Harry said, looking optimistic, but still worried. “Louisa? Could I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“I had this dream, I was in a hallway as a snake. And you...beheaded me. I could feel it. You were there with Mr. Weasley. It felt so real, but I’m not sure. I’ve been hearing these voices. Am I going mad?”

“Well, do you feel like you still have control of your senses?” Lily asked.

“That’s it. I know I’m not being possessed. I asked...a friend who would know what it’s like. But do you have any idea what it could be? Why were you there?” Harry asked desperately.

“Harry, you and Voldemort have a special bond. You’ve felt it as long as you can remember. Perhaps whatever causes your scar to hurt causes these visions.” Lily answered as diplomatically as she could. Could Voldemort hear her?

“So Voldemort is causing this?” Harry asked. “Why?”

“It doesn’t seem intentional, does it? Was this the first time you saw yourself as a snake?”

“No, the first time was last year,” Harry replied in a hollow voice.

“As he’s getting stronger, his ability to make these visions will be stronger too. Are you practicing your Occulmency?” Lily asked.

Harry looked away. “I’m not doing that anymore.”

“Why not?”

“I saw some of his memories in a Pensieve. I saw one of my dad, and I saw one with you too.”

_1977_

The Quantum Party was in full swing. 

They had decided to host it on a weekend, in a public classroom. They were granted permission by Albus, though he did not approve of it in principle, and it was free to any student who wished to attend.

Sirius and Peter set up the snacks, Remus provided the decorations, and James urged Lily to get out her cassettes.

“You might as well play some of those forbidden notes. If not now, when?” James asked.

“Never, obviously. That’s why they’re forbidden.” Lily replied.

“It’s not like anyone’s going to remember a Muggle song they heard at a party one time when they were young. Have fun with it. Maybe play something you know no one will hear in the future.” James suggested.

Lily thought of it. “Alright, I think I have a general idea. But you’re not going to like it.”

So Lily played mostly pop songs from her own childhood of the 2000s, well past the expiration date of the attendees.

“You’re right,” James admitted as they danced together on their makeshift dance floor, “this is garbage.”

“Excuse me, sir. This is my garbage. I don’t complain about your music.”

“Is there anything to complain about glam rock?” James asked.

“Nothing. As long as you don’t mind expanding your horizons,” Lily teased. “How about a challenge? Let’s see who can last the longest on the dance floor?”

“Child’s play,” James said. “As Quidditch Captain I have stamina for days.”

“Oh? Let’s see you prove it,” Lily challenged. 

So Lily moved her body, flailed her arms, and shimmied. It wasn’t entrancing by any means- it was very animated, and very silly. James’s dance moves were equally silly as they were both having fun.

Lily noticed a crowd forming around them of their classmates, one particular person was staring daggers at them. “Looks like we have company,” she said, her eyes moving towards the general direction.

James faltered. “What should we do?”

“We aren’t doing anything. You go talk to her.” Lily urged. “Consider your challenge forfeit.”

James grinned. “Postponed. I didn’t lose.”

He stepped out of the center of the dance floor moving towards Evans, who did not seem pleased to see him. 

Lily walked to the punch bowl. Sirius was chatting with a girl from Ravenclaw with a loud giggle and long blonde hair. Remus had gotten himself into a circle with not one, but three girls.

“Looks like it’s just us, huh Pete?” Lily asked. Peter looked up from the punch bowl.

“Someone has to make sure everyone gets enough punch,” Peter replied solemnly.

Lily leaned over. “Is it spiked?”

“Only if you don’t tell anyone,” Peter whispered. Lily laughed. 

“Dance with me,” she offered, holding out her arm. Eagerly, he accepted.

“I thought you’d be with Sirius,” Peter said.

“We’re taking it slow,” Lily replied. “We’re not exclusive. Doesn’t make any sense since we’re graduating.”

“His idea or yours?” Peter asked while dancing.

“It was mutual.”

“He seems to be taking it well,” Peter mused as he looked over at Sirius wrapping his arm around the Ravenclaw’s waist.

Lily shrugged. “I’m not the jealous type. If anything, I worry more about hurting others than the other way around. The way I travel from place to place, I’m more likely to be forgotten and it’s better that way.”

“Travel? Like your parents moved here for work from Hong Kong?” Peter asked.

“Something like that. I don’t really take well to stress.” Lily agreed, deciding to do a twirl. “I love this song!”

“Yeah, it’s not bad.” Peter nodded to the beat. He looked at the crowd. “Not a bad turnout, but I think I see some of the snakes have dropped by.” Sure enough, quite a few Slytherins, including Avery, Mulciber were in the corner sulking. Snape was off in the distance having a heated discussion with Lily, oh and James had joined in. Wonderful.

Lily shrugged. “It’ll be fine. Everyone’s welcome.” She kept an eye on the developments going on across the room. Snape was shouting, Lily was shouting. James did not look happy.

“Excuse me, Pete.” Lily said as she moved towards the commotion.

“Is everything alright?” She asked.

“This is exactly what I mean!” Snape shouted. “She just butts herself into anyone’s business and you just trust her! Do you know anything about this girl? Isn’t it a bit odd that she just showed up out of nowhere.”

“I think that’s enough Snivelly. You can just leave.” James said, taking out his wand

“Don’t tell me what to do, Potter. You might be blind to this whore, but anyone with sense could tell somethings not right.”

“What did you call her?” James shouted.

“You heard me, you’re not very subtle about it. Couldn’t stand that Lily didn’t want you, so you settled for some cheap tart?” Snape replied. 

“Oh for god's sake!” Evans shouted. She turned to Snape. “Severus, I don’t need you trying to interfere in my life, you made it very clear where you stand. Please, never speak to me again.” 

Snape opened his mouth to protest.

“Enough!” Evans snapped. “And Potter, get everyone out of here. This party is cancelled. Everyone, back to your dorms!” Lily nodded, cancelling the music as the students shuffled out, grumbling.

“James, I want a word with you.” Evans said. Surprised, he nodded.

“I’ll see you later, Lou.” He said as he waved goodbye. He and Lily left the room.

“Trouble in paradise?” Peter asked.

“It must be difficult keeping a relationship together with people trying to get in between them,” Lily commented.

“Like you?” He asked, “When did you become a cheap tart and how did I miss it?”

Lily snorted. “Let’s get these decorations down. Where did Remus and Sirius go?”

“Left with the others, the duffers. At least it wasn’t an all out fight,” Peter remarked as they took down the streamers. “You’d be dead in a minute.”

“I could hold my own!” Lily replied, vanishing the snacks.

“Hey, keep some of those!” Peter shouted. “Yeah, but you’d use _Expelliarmus,_ Leg Locker, and _Diffindo_. You’re very predictable.”

“I’ve kept the Ice Mice.” Lily said. Peter made a face. 

“You did that on purpose.”

“What can I say? I’m predictable.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that is Vienna by Billy Joel. I know song lyrics aren’t really allowed but it’s just a small clip of a song I felt was emotionally resonant. It really does evoke a lot of feelings of lost time, and living for now. As for all these flashbacks, they’ll make sense later on. If you like this story please feel free to leave a review!


	9. Stenachória

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stenachória- feeling trapped, the darkness of the world is inescapable

“I don’t understand,” Harry said. “I knew you were friends with my dad, but did you date him? Is that why you’re trying to get close to me?”

“No, of course not!” Lily exclaimed. “James and I were never like that. We really were just friends. It’s just that people tended to assume just because I spent a lot of time with him, something must be going on.”

Harry nodded. “I guess I can understand. I’ve had that problem before with me and Hermione. But, did my parents even like each other? They seemed so hostile in those memories.”

Lily sighed. “Harry, your parents loved each other very much, and they loved you most of all. You are loved by so many people: your friends, the Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, the DA, and even myself for what it’s worth. And no matter what, we’re here for you.”

Harry relaxed. It seemed he needed to hear that.

“And I wouldn’t worry too much about Snape. He wasn’t entirely faultless you know. And Jamie did grow up and become a better person.”

“Still, it’s not every day you see your parent was actually a bully, even if it’s Snape.” Harry replied.

“Well, no one is perfect. Certainly not Jamie. He had his faults of course, but he was a wonderful, caring person - and the most loyal friend to have.” Lily smiled, thinking of the moments they shared. “Do you want any more Jamie stories?”

“Yes please,” Harry nodded. He enjoyed her humorous tales of their adventures.

When Lily had finished, Harry’s mood had lightened considerably. “It’s getting late, maybe you should head to bed,” Lily suggested. 

“I’m not tired,” Harry said moodily. “Could you tell me about what you and Sirius are doing for the Order? He says it’s top secret, but I heard Mr. Weasley say you were here with Dumbledore before we left.”

Lily bit her lip. “Oh, just solving a theory Albus had. He’s always trying to unravel some mystery of the universe or the other.”

“Is it something Voldemort wants?” Harry asked.

“Not that I’m aware of?” Lily tried to act confused. “But, I will need your help for something. I’m at a bit of a loss how we should proceed, but apparently there are some letters addressed to me in your Gringotts account.”

“In my account? Why?” Harry looked perplexed.

“No idea. Only you would be able to retrieve them, and we can’t at the moment for obvious reasons.”

“Why don’t we go on Boxing Day?” Harry suggested.

Lily snorted. “Just walk up to the bank? You do remember why you’re here don’t you?”

“I doubt the Death Eaters are going to be on every corner waiting to catch me,” Harry said.

“Believe me, they are.” Lily replied. “You can’t be seen out and about.”

“Then we’ll take the cloak.” Harry said, as if it was the most obvious solution.

“Molly would kill us if she found out,” Lily remarked, unsure if she should encourage such reckless behavior. Oh who was she kidding? She was loving this.

“Then we go in the morning. The bank opens at eight, the Weasleys will wake up at nine or so. I’ll sneak back up through the window.” Harry suggested. “You meet me outside at the back around seven.”

“Very well then. See you in six hours.” Lily said. 

Harry bid her farewell, and headed to bed. Lily stayed up, cleaning up the parlour and sleeping on the couch. She didn’t want to wake Sirius.

She woke up at six, and luckily Molly was nowhere to be seen. In the hour she waited, she went over various ways this jaunt could go horribly wrong, and immediately regretted this decision. It was irresponsible risking Harry’s life over a letter, it could wait. She was going to have to call it off. 

Quietly, she went to the back door or the house, only to find Harry waiting outside. Reluctantly, she opened it.

“Good, you’re early.” Harry said. “Come on, get underneath the cloak.”

“I don’t think we should be doing this…” Lily said.

“Well, you’re already here,” Harry remarked. “Let’s go.”

Lily sighed, but he did have a point. She got under the cloak, and apparated them outside of Gringotts.

The bank was open during wizard holidays, only closing for high Goblin festivals. At 7:59, they were the first customers allowed through the door. Harry removed the cloak discretely before entering the main lobby.

As expected, the main floor was practically empty as most wizards and witches were sleeping in. Harry walked up to account services, and asked to visit his vault.

A few minutes later, they were whisked into the cart and straight to the Potter vault. Harry made a quick withdrawal for what he expected he’d need (and extra for some personal expenses if Lily assumed correctly), and stopped by a small safety deposit box. “This must be it,” Harry said. The key was placed next to it. Gently, he lifted the key and placed it in the box, turning the lock. As he did, the lid opened to reveal three letters in a familiar messy scrawl.

“Jamie,” Lily gasped 

Two of the letters were addressed to her, as Hrafn had said, one was addressed to Harry himself. Harry lifted them out of the box and placed them in her hand, keeping his own letter clutched tightly in his fist. 

“Thank you,” Lily replied, wiping the tears in her eyes. She looked at the goblin waiting for them outside. “We better head back. Do you have everything you need?” 

“I think so,” Harry replied. “Unless there are more secret letters from my parents I don’t know about.”

Lily just rolled her eyes. “Cheeky.”

They headed out of the vault and rolled back to the main entrance. As soon as they were out of the bank, they placed the Invisibility cloak over themselves and apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

“This was fun,” Harry said. “I’ll shimmy back up to the window, you follow behind.”

Lily nodded, and watched as he safely made it to his window. Despite her better judgement, she followed. It was surprisingly difficult scaling up an old building, but she made it to her windowsill, casting an unlocking charm as she jumped in, closing it behind her.

“And where were you sneaking off so early in the morning?” Sirius asked.

Lily turned around. “We got the letters.”

“We?” Sirius asked.

“Harry and I, we stopped by the bank.” Lily replied casually, taking off her shoes.

“And you didn’t think of telling me?” Sirius asked, annoyed. “Do you even know how dangerous that was? If no one knew where either of you were…”

“I know, it was reckless and stupid, especially putting Harry at risk,” Lily said. “Though it was his idea.”

“But you’re the adult, you should know better.” Sirius replied. “I really don’t want to argue about this.”

Lily wrapped her arms around Sirius and kissed him. “I don’t either. Let’s just rest, and we can read them later.”

“Are they really from James?” Sirius asked.

She took them out of the locket in her dress. “Looks like it.”

Sirius grabbed one from her hand. “It’s his handwriting alright. I wonder why they’re addressed to you.”

“We’ll find out. But later, I’m tired.”

“You’re just doing this to keep me in suspense,” Sirius teased. 

“Enough talking.” Lily kissed him and collapsed into the bed.   
  


When Lily woke up five hours later, Sirius was by her side. “Hello,” she mumbled blearily.

“Hello.” He knelt down to kiss her face, sweeping the hair out of her eyes. “I made you some tea.”

“My hero,” she reached out her hand to accept the warm chipped teacup (gilded unicorns adorned the pale blue porcelain). “What’s this?”

“Ceylon. All we have at the moment I’m afraid.”

“It’s perfect.”

“About the letters?” Sirius hinted.

Lily gulped her tea and placed it by the bedside. “Yes, the letters!” She quickly grabbed one and tore it open. 

_ September 17, 1981 _

_ Well Lou, this is it. I’m writing this letter out of an abundance of caution, just in case everything goes horribly wrong. I’m hoping everything will be fine, you and I will be reading this together, and we will laugh about this over a drink.  _

“Oh Jamie,” Lily sighed.

_ I hope Sirius is with you too. I know it’s unlikely, but if he is, I know he’s reading over your shoulder. Hello, Padfoot. _

“He got me,” Sirius said. Lily jumped, she had forgotten Sirius was still there. She hoped Jamie didn’t write anything too obvious.

_ But, I’ve been feeling this overwhelming sense of dread these past few months in hiding. It could be cabin fever, it could be paranoia. Maybe this might be all it comes down to, and that’s that. I don’t mind of course. I’d do anything for Harry, but it doesn’t mean I’m still not… _

The last part was scratched out.

_ Maybe it was all for nothing. Maybe we tried, and we failed. But I just want to know I helped make a better tomorrow. And I think I did. There are signs that it worked. But, if I’m not there to see it then maybe we will need to make contingencies, as every good Marauder should.  _

“What signs?” Sirius asked. Lily shushed him.

_ Sirius and I made a plan about the Secret Keeper. It’s Peter. Clever, huh? Well, we think so. But I also have another letter enclosed that can be sent to the proper authorities that verifies the Secret Keeper’s identity as well as a standard signature and disclaimer I wrote this when I was of sound mind and all that. Hopefully, this helps. _

_ I’m sorry Sirius. This was all my fault. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. For what it’s worth, I hope you two find each other again if you haven’t. You both deserve to be happy. And Lou, even if we didn’t make things right, at least we can say we tried. Tell Harry I love him when you see him. _

_ Love, Jamie _

“Damn it, Jamie.” Lily swore, folding the letter back in the envelope.

“Maybe this is it,” Sirius mumbled. “This could get me cleared.”

“We could have Harry send it to the DMLE, maybe they’d be willing to open the case again,” Lily suggested.

“Maybe,” Sirius replied hopefully.

Harry was more than willing to send the letter to his classmate Susan’s aunt, Amelia Bones. They did not hear from her for a month or so afterwards, until she had replied to Harry, who sent back the news via owl.

“What does it say?” Lily asked as Sirius skimmed it.

“Harry says they received a similar letter almost fourteen years ago, shortly after James’s death.” Sirius replied. “It was dismissed as irrelevant to the case because I was arrested for the murder of those Muggles and suspected Death Eater activity, not betraying the Potters. Even though the letter specifically mentions Pettigrew had a motive to lie and commit those crimes.” 

He crumpled it up and threw it in the air, lighting it on fire with his wand. “Bloody self-serving idiots in the Ministry. They knew, all this time, and they chose to ignore it because it was convenient.”

“We will prove you’re innocent,” Lily said with determination.

“Can we?” Sirius said despondently. “It seems hopeless.”

They mostly kept to themselves as Order members went in and out of the house, Lily offering to make tea or tend to anyone while Sirius moped. It wasn’t until Remus arrived one day carrying a copy of the Prophet that they were thrown for a shock.

“What happened?” Lily asked as Remus slammed the paper on the table.

“Get Sirius,” Remus ordered. “I need to know if he knew.”

“Knew what?” Lily asked, peering at the paper.

_ Was War Hero James Potter the Radio Interloper? _

_ By Rita Skeeter _

_ Recent examination of items by the Godric’s Hollow Memorial Committee discovered in the items of Muggle junk a collection of what are called cassette tapes by the Muggles. These ‘tapes’ are similar to a primitive Pensieve that only records audio. After years of trying to understand how such contraptions world, the committee was able to play one such tape successfully, only to find the shock of their lives! What were they to hear but the terrifying beats one distinctly remembers from during the war, that would intercept our wireless programs threatening an imminent attack. How did the late Mr. Potter come across such a device, and how did he know to intercept the radio waves, violating not only the law granting exclusive control to the Ministry, as well as the laws on the Statute of Secrecy for improper use of Muggle devices, and access to potential Death Eater targets? Do we really know where Mr. Potter’s loyalty lay, especially with his close ties to the notorious Sirius Black? We may never know, but the presence of such items is certainly damning. Your indefatigable correspondent will keep you abreast as this story develops. _

“He would have hated that moniker.” Lily commented. 

“Not the point, is it? Especially if Skeeter’s accusing James of being a spy.” Remus replied.

“But he wasn’t!” Lily exclaimed. “He’d never do that.”

Remus pushed her out of the way and ran up to Sirius’s room. Lily followed him.

“What is it, Moony?” Sirius asked as Remus thrust the paper in his face. Sirius frowned as he read the article and swore.

“My point exactly. Did you know?” Remus asked.

“Of course not. I never suspected. But it seems like there’s a lot about James I never knew.” Sirius replied darkly.

“What do you mean?” Remus asked.

Sirius told him about the letter. Remus was stunned. 

“Merlin.”

“I know, right? What else was James hiding from us?” Sirius asked.

“You should call Harry, I’m sure this is devastating to him.”

Sirius nodded. “I will. I’m still trying to process it myself.”

“I’m sure he had the best intentions. After all, he saved so many lives,” Lily said.

“But why didn’t he tell us?” Sirius asked. “Even if he had intelligence, he should have told the Order, not acted on his own.”

“I understand him not trusting me, but you?” Remus looked at the floor. 

“Wormtail made us doubt all of us,” Sirius replied. 

“Maybe that’s why he never said anything. He always suspected the mole was someone we knew,” Remus remarked. “He was just closer than he thought.”

“But that doesn’t justify not telling us. He trusted us.” Sirius argued.

Remus didn’t respond. He turned to Lily. “I have to go back to the werewolf commune. I just wanted to see you both before I leave.”

“Stay safe, Remus.” Lily said, giving him a hug.

“You too. Snape was saying that You-Know-Who’s been asking about you.” Remus said.

“Really? What for?” Lily asked.

“Unsure, but I’m not surprised. You always seem to find trouble.” Remus said. Lily playfully shoved him.

“See you around, Moony,” Sirius said as he bade his goodbyes. They hugged, though it wa brief and watched as he apparated out.

“You’re going to have to lay low as well,” Sirius commented. “The last thing you need is to get ambushed.”

Lily smiled. “I’ll consider more time with you a bonus.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest.

If the Death Eaters wanted a fight, they’d certainly get one. Maybe they could bring Pettigrew to her. All she needed to do was set the trap.


	10. Raconte des salades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raconter des salades- to tell lies, could also be used to tell someone everything they think they know is false

Lily kept finding “excuses” to leave the house. Perhaps they were out of milk, or maybe she just wanted to go for a walk. Sometimes, Sirius would transform and join her, but most of the time she’d sneak out when he was asleep. She didn’t want him to worry, after all.

Things were going well, or somewhat well. The Death Eaters should have broken out of Azkaban by now, but they had not. Perhaps Voldemort was taking stock of his Horcruxes, or something just as dire was keeping him occupied. On the other hand, Harry started his Occulmency lessons a month too soon, and ended them almost immediately- he should have started this month and had until the end of term to be somewhat familiar with it. Now he would be at Voldemort’s mercy unless Albus could cajole Severus into trying again.

Lily crossed the street to the newsstand to buy a paper, settling on the Times, and two bars of Secret and a packet of Cadbury Astros. She always enjoyed collecting discontinued candy, it made a nice souvenir.

She opened the paper and lazily read the business section at the newsstand, unable to shake the feeling she was being watched. She folded the paper, tucking it under her arm as she placed her hands in her pockets, holding tight to her wand as she briskly walked into her flat.

She felt the whir of a spell fly past her and blast the door, shattering into millions of splinters

Lily turned around to find herself surrounded by three Death Eaters, and Wormtail who was not in robes.

Lily jumped out of the way of the next blasting hex, and sent a hex their way, shattering his knee from the inside as he toppled over in pain, then sent a stunning spell. She quickly cast a shield against a spell from the other side. She disarmed the other two by shattering their wrists, then stunning them. Her father would be disappointed in her more violent impulses, but it was fast. 

Wormtail raised his wand and shouted, “Avada…” only for Lily to summon a teapot and chuck it at his head, causing him to fall over bleeding. She summoned his wand and placed it in a drawer as Wormtail crawled forward, trying to grab it, groaning in pain.

“Has it really come to this, Pete?” Lily asked.

“What did you expect would happen? You killed his familiar.” Wormtail spat, blood running down his mouth. 

Lily pointed her wand at him and he flinched. 

“Don’t kill me Lou, please. We can work something out, can’t we? I could talk to my Master, he would want someone like you on his side.”

Lily frowned. “You know Pete, James always believed in you despite everything and I don’t know why. He thought when it came down to it you would be capable of change.”

“I am, I could help you, Lou. You’ll see,” he begged.

“I’ll give you a ten minute head start.” Lily replied.

Wormtail turned into a rat, ready to retreat when Lily jumped forward, stunning him instantly.

She lifted the stunned rat off the ground, and placed it in her pocket. As casually as she could, and began to enact her plan.

“I see you did not book an appointment Miss Pruitt.” Amelia Bones noted as Lily sat in front of her desk. “Honestly, I’m not sure how you entered my office without one.”

“I am here to right wrongs, and I will only take a moment of your time.” Lily replied as she placed a cage on Bones’s desk.

“You’re here to offer me a rodent? I’m not in need of any potion ingredients.”

“Better, I’m here to turn in the unregistered Animangus Peter Pettigrew.” 

Lily removed the rat (currently drugged with enough Dreamless Sleep to keep him sedated for a while) and placed him on the floor. She cast a _Hominem Revelio_ and watched as Bones gasped in astonishment. 

“This is the perpetrator of the explosion that killed twelve Muggles in 1981, and a spy for You-Know-Who himself as you can see from the Dark Mark on his forearm.” Lily said, lifting his sleeve.

“Are you sure it’s him?” Bones asked, her voice shaking in disbelief.

“How else can you explain it? Polyjuice does not work on dead hair. And you can keep him in a holding cell if you do not believe me. Having a Dark Mark in itself is considered an arrestable offense if I’m correct.”

“You are.” Bones replied stiffly. She pressed a button under her desk, and her assistant, a young man in his twenties, rushed into the room. When he saw Wormtail’s body on the floor, he gasped.

“Please call the Auror department to send someone. I think we will be here for a while. And please escort Miss Pruitt to a holding cell for questioning.”

Lily gaped at her. “Excuse me?” 

The assistant grabbed her by the arm and escorted her to a glass booth with a thin wooden bench inside. Lily felt she had sat the for a long time, possibly hours, until a tall burly man with brown hair entered the cell.

“Good evening, Miss Pruitt. I’m Auror Robards. I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“Go ahead,” Lily acquiesced, folding her arms.

“How did you come in contact to the supposed Mr. Pettigrew?”

“Are you not convinced it is him? Because I went to school with him, and I can assure you, it’s him.”

“We will verify his identity in time. But how did you become acquainted with him?”

“He, and a few other individuals in Death Eater robes barged into my flat and tried to kill me. I stunned them in self defense. I left them at my flat but by now they’ve probably fled. Pettigrew was the only one I recognized because he was not wearing robes. Surprised, I brought him here to stand trial for his crimes.”

“Mr. Pettigrew was a war hero.” Robards said.

“But he was not! He was a spy for You-Know-Who! He framed Sirius Black and framed him for the explosion. There is even record of a letter from James Potter himself intimating such information that was dismissed.”

Robards frowned. “Is this true?”

“Yes, I have the letter with me.”

Lily pulled out a copy the letter from her coat pocket and handed it to him, which he snatched. He skimmed it, keeping an eye on her as he read.

“I’m keeping this,” Robards declared.

“Please do. Is there anything else I can answer for you?” Lily asked.

“You are free to go for now, but you will be asked to return as a witness to the trail of our Joe Bloggs, possibly Peter Pettigrew. Do you have any information on the whereabouts of Sirius Black? You mentioned his name.”

Lily shook her head. “I’m afraid not, I was hoping you knew.”

“Were you close to Mr. Black?” Robards asked.

“We were schoolmates, just like I was with Pettigrew. He was a nice chap. He deserved a proper trial.” Lily said pointedly.

“And he’ll get one, if he turns himself in,” Robards replied. “If you do find anything, please send a tip. You’ll be helping him as well as us. If he’s really innocent, he has nothing to worry about.”

Lily stood up, and walked towards the door of her cell. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

When Lily returned to Grimmauld, she didn’t know if she should tell Sirius, or if it would only provide false hope.

“Where were you?” Sirius asked as she walked through the door. “You were gone for ages.”

“I went for a candy run,” Lily said. “Also has a run-in with Peter. I sent him over to the Aurors. It’s out of our hands now.”

“What!” Sirius screamed. “Are you hurt? How did this happen? Are you out of your mind?”

He ran over to her and grabbed her arms, examining her body for cuts or bruises. 

“How could you do this? You didn’t even tell me anything!” He said as he held her tightly.

“I thought you’d be happy. We’re going to bring him to justice.”

“But you could have died! I doubt he ambushed you on his own.”

Lily sighed. “It was a bit of a scrape, but I got by. Really, I had more trouble with Amelia Bones and the Aurors not wanting to believe me.”

Sirius let go of her and looked at her face to face. “But did they believe you?”

“We’ll see. There’s going to be a trial either way and I’ll have to testify. So he might be sentenced for something. But to overturn your sentence they want you to turn yourself in.” Lily said.

Sirius snorted. “Not bloody likely.”

“Even if it means clearing your name?” Lily asked. “We’ve come so far.”

Sirius looked unsure. “I can’t go back there.”

“It won’t be for long,” Lily said. “And worse comes to worse, we’ll break you out again.”

When word got out about Pettigrew’s return from the dead, the papers had a field day. The Prophet started to speculate how he could have faked his death, and how if it really was him. When the identification test results leaked and proved, yes it was Pettigrew, the story took on a life of its own that not even the Ministry could curb. Since it wasn’t directly related to the return of Voldemort, the Ministry didn’t try too hard to suppress it anyway, possibly hoping it would die down on its own.

The Quibbler suggested that Pettigrew was such a successful spy because he used an army of hyper intelligent rats to control the government at all levels, giving direct power to You-Know-Who. Lily hoped the paper hadn’t started becoming the de facto news source of the resistance yet.

The Prophet suggested he and James Potter were in cahoots to frame Sirius Black, both working as double agents. They were still on the track of discrediting Harry Potter any way possible, even suggesting James had also faked his own death. Lily sent a rather neatly wrapped basket of hippogriff dung to Skeeter for that one.

As the weeks passed, editorials and pieces about Sirius Black were being published at a rate unseen even during his arrest from both sides. The traditionalists were asking why the heir to a family as illustrious as the Blacks was shuttered away on such circumstantial evidence without trial, especially highlighting Crouch’s scandal from last year. The progressives were wanting a harder stance on punishing former Death Eaters who they felt escaped justice. The tide was turning in Sirius’s favor. But still he was unwilling to turn himself in, well aware that it could still go horribly wrong.

The day of the trial arrived, and Lily sat in the Wizengamot chamber, waiting to be called as a witness. Reporters had waited outside the atrium, swarming her as she went in.

“Miss Pruitt, is this Mr. Pettigrew?” Tiberius Ogden, one of the high seats on the Wizengamot asked. 

Albus was noticeably absent, having been ousted as Chief Warlock due to his statements of Voldemort’s return and Lily felt incredibly small and alone. 

“Yes,” she replied, staring at the man chained in front of them. He wasn’t looking at her, he was staring at his manacled hands.

“And how did Mr. Pettigrew achieve in faking his death?”

“He is an animangus, sir. I assume after cutting off his finger, he transformed into a rat and hid away.” Lily replied.

“Have you seen him transform before?”

“Multiple times.”

“And you never thought to report an unregistered animangus?”

“I did not, I was not from Britain and was unaware of the severity of such an action. But that does not take away that Pettigrew was still a spy for a You-Know-Who, and killed those Muggles.”

“Were you a witness to the event the plaintiff is accused of have caused?” He asked.

“No, but I was.”

Lily turned towards the door, and she could hear the murmurs as Sirius walked into the chamber. 

“My name is Sirius Black, and I have come here to act as a witness, and to officially turn myself in.”

Ogden murmured with a few of the other high members of the Wizengamot as Aurors grabbed Sirius, placing chains around his hands and dragging him to a bench on the other side of the chamber. One Auror sat next to him, his wand pointed at Sirius’s chest.

“Very well, Mr. Black. We accept your request and you may act as a witness to the trial.”

Sirius recounted the night that he was betrayed, down to his arrest. He confirmed that Pettigrew was an animangus, so was he and James Potter as well. He talked about how Pettigrew had manipulated their trust and betrayed their friendship, all for his own fear and ambition.

Sirius finished, and was escorted back to his seat. There was a brief recess, and Lily stared longingly at Sirius throughout the whole silent waiting period. Sirius leaned over and mouthed, “I love you.”

Lily sniffed, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes.

The Wizengamot shuffled back to their benches, sitting down. Griselda Marchbanks called order and began to speak. 

“Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Black. Given the evidence and Mr. Potter’s letter, which has been authenticated at Gringotts, we must conclude that Mr. Pettigrew did commit the offenses he is accused of and must receive the highest sentence, the Dementor’s kiss at Azkaban. Mr. Black, you are exonerated of the crimes you were sentenced for and we offer our sincerest apologies for this injustice. You are free to go, but you must report weekly to an assigned Auror to note your whereabouts and register as an animangus. You would have received an additional sentence for felony escape but frankly, your previous tenure of incarceration has served it in spades.”

Sirius shook in surprise. He bowed his head. “Thank you.” 

Despite himself, he wept openly.

When the trial had adjourned, Lily ran to him, kissing him deeply on the lips. “You did it, I’m so proud of you.”

Sirius kissed her back, smiling. “We did it.”

They watched as Pettigrew was escorted away by the Aurors.

“It’s really over.”

“I still wish I could have killed him,” Sirius replied, hatred laced in his voice.

Lily touched his face, turning it to her. “We did it the right way. The way Harry wanted it. Jamie would have wanted it this way too.”

Sirius didn’t say anything, but grabbed her hand and kissed it.

When they left the courtroom, they were blinded by the flashing lights of reporters and curious onlookers, eager to get a glimpse of the once notorious Sirius Black, and the mystery woman on his arm.

“Sirius! Care to comment on Pettigrew’s spying for You-Know-Who?”

“Was James Potter a spy as well? Did you know?”

“Sirius! Any plans for the future?”

“I can answer that one!” Sirius exclaimed. “I am going to start the process to formally adopt my godson, along with my partner. Until that’s settled, we ask for privacy and thank you for your support in these trying times.”

He waved to the reporters and dragged Lily away, stunned at what he said.

“Are you out of your mind!” Lily exclaimed as they left the Ministry.

“We had talked about this,” Sirius said. “Once I cleared my name we would adopt him.”

“I didn’t think you would make it public until the process was finalized. Think about how much danger you’re putting Harry in without the blood protection.”

“He’ll still have it, you’ll be there.” Sirius said. “And he knows, I told him how you were related to James.”

“But you had no right to tell him that! That’s private!.” Lily replied. It was beginning to rain. She could feel the droplets running down her face.

“What isn’t private with you? You are always hiding things from me. Why can’t you tell me the truth?” Sirius demanded. The rain was steadily pouring down.

Lily apparated then back to Grimmauld. “Alright.” Lily said as she sat him down on the couch. “You are right. You deserve to know the truth. It’s long overdue.” 

When she finished, Sirius just stared at her.

“Well?” Lily asked, biting her lip.

“So, all this time you lied to me.” Sirius said, his voice hollow.

“No, no. I didn’t lie. Well, yes, I sort of did. But how could I explain myself in a way that doesn’t sound insane? I just frequently and spontaneously time travel?”

“It does sound insane,” Sirius agreed. “So _when_ are you from exactly?”

“I was born in 2008.”

“Merlin.” Sirius gasped. “You aren’t even anything now are you? But you’re here.”

“That’s time travel for you.” Lily shrugged.

“But you were seventeen when we were, you went to school with us!” Sirius shouted.

“That was a coincidence. I tend to drop into any era at any given time. I just happened to be the same age as you at that time.” Lily explained.

“So how did you enroll? And what about your parents moving from Hong Kong?” Sirius asked incredulously, running his hand through his hair.

“Albus helped me with that. I needed a place to stay, so he let me finish my schooling for as long as I stayed. I was lucky I stayed the year. Usually I phase out before then. As for Hong Kong, it was far enough away to explain my unfamiliarity with the local people or customs of the time, and no one would be able to out me as an imposter as easily from there as opposed to Beauxbatons.”

“Why would Dumbledore help you?” Sirius probed.

“I spent a summer with his family, we became close friends, and I guess he took pity on me.” Lily replied.

“When was this?”

“How old was I or the time period?” Lily asked. 

“The second one.”

“1898.”

Sirius swore. He stood up and started pacing.

“So all these things you’ve been doing. You’ve been meddling with what’s supposed to happen, haven’t you?” Sirius demanded angrily, “The Horcruxes, Wormtail, trying to set up Remus with Tonks, you are trying to change things!”

“That last one does happen, I just thought they should have more time together.” Lily said weakly.

“Until what?” Sirius asked, shouting at her.

Lily didn’t answer. 

Sirius stopped pacing. “Did you know? About James and Lily? How they were going to die?”

“I tried to stop it. I did everything I could…” Lily pleaded.

“But it wasn’t enough, was it?” Sirius said bitingly. “Would James have been so fond of you if he knew you could have saved him?”

“I told him everything. We worked together to try to stop it. We still failed.” Lily said. She could see Sirius bubble with rage.

“But you didn’t tell me.” He said quietly. “Both of you kept it from me.”

He looked at the fireplace. “He knew, and he still went along with my plan for the Secret Keeper?” 

“James wanted to save everyone. Including Peter. He believed he had the capacity to have a change of heart and that he too could be saved. That’s why he wanted to do the broadcast warnings, he wanted to save as many lives as possible from succumbing to the Death Eaters. I told him the attacks that had been recorded in the future, and we even planted bugs in some of the strongholds for the ones we might have missed. If that radio still worked, you could tune into the Malfoy’s living room if you wanted to.”

“You know about that too?” Sirius asked. “Why am I still surprised.”

“It was James’s idea but we talked through some of the mechanics.” Lily answered.

Sirius put his hands on his head. He looked back up at her. “I don’t think I even know you at all, Louisa. Is that even your name?”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Then what is it? I suppose I have a right to know that by now?” He spat.

“It’s Lily. Lily Luna Potter.”

Sirius laughed, it sounded unhinged. “Of course it is. You’re Harry’s daughter.”

“Yes.”

“Did James know? Oh who am I kidding? He probably did. Not like he ever wanted to tell anything to me, his best mate.”

“I already risked too much telling him, I couldn’t tell you, Sirius! I never thought I’d see you again, and then I did and it was just so overwhelming and amazing, I didn’t want to lose you!” Lily screamed desperately.

Sirius gave her a hard stare, his eyes bloodshot.

“Sirius, I’m sorry. I really cocked it up, I know. But I love you so much. I can’t lose you again, not now when we can really be together,” Lily pleaded, tears stinging her eyes. She felt lightheaded, the room was beginning to spin. 

“I think I would like you to leave.”

“Sirius..” Lily cried.

“Just go.” Sirius said firmly. 

Lily nodded, bursting into tears. She grabbed her coat and ran out the door, feeling nauseous as her limbs felt dense, then lightweight. As soon as she hit the pavement, she knew she was spiraling.

She ran to the bus stop, hoping to catch her breath. She hyperventilated as her vision blurred, growing cloudy as the colors seemed so bright.

She closed her eyes tightly, slowing the dots of color to spiral around in the blackness.

When she opened her eyes, she was in the same bus stop. But everything was different. The corner kebab shop had turned into an artisanal cafe, and the beeper store a vape shop. Lily felt the dead weight of her phone buzz back to life in her coat pocket.

She fumbled for her phone and stared grimly at the date. She was back in the present.


	11. Shouganai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouganai- (Japanese) - it can’t be helped, it is what it is.

Frantically, Lily checked her phone. 

It was a text from Al. Odd, he never texted her.

 _This is a long shot, but please write back Lou. Please_.

Lily looked at her messages, there were three missed calls from Dad, one from Mum. Perhaps they were trying to track her location? Not like it would have helped.

If it could be believed, the time on her phone read 21:15. She was gone for five hours.

 _Tell Mum and Dad I’m fine, it was just some accidental apparition_ Lily quickly typed back. 

Her phone buzzed. 

_Thank Merlin. You had us worried for a moment_

Lily waited for any other messages, but nothing came. Figures. Once things were back to normal, Al would probably go back to ignoring her again. She quickly sent a message to her parents and Jamie, though she doubted he knew she had been missing.

She pulled up Portkey, the web browser for magical phones and did a quick search on the recent events of this timeline...strange. It seemed that nothing had changed. Her father still defeated Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts, he still married her mum, and Aunt Hermione was still Minister.

Anxiously, she typed in a few names 

Fabian Prewett.

_Died at the Battle of Hogwarts, killed by Dolohov._

Lily paled. So that’s why she never got to know him growing up. But why had the past corrected itself? Fabian lived, only to die at the hands of his murderer once more.

Remus Lupin.

_Died at the Battle of Hogwarts by his wife, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin._

No. 

Lily couldn’t help herself, she typed in one more name.

Sirius Black

_Died June 18, 1996 at the Department of Mysteries- reasons unknown_.

Lily closed her eyes tightly as she felt tears brimming. She sniffed and stuffed her phone back in her pocket, trudging home. She needed the walk to clear her head. She’d certainly splinch herself trying to apparated back now.

Lily knocked on the door to Grimmauld to be greeted by her father, who wrapped her into a tight hug. 

“Oh Lulu, I was so scared.”

“I’m fine Dad, I’m a big girl,” Lily chuckled darkly.

Harry looked her directly in the eye. “I told you I wasn’t comfortable with you visiting the crime scene, and you went inside a building with unstable levels on magical volatility. Lily, do you know how reckless you were? You could have been killed.”

Lily shook her head. “Thanks for the lecture Dad, but if I remember correctly, recklessness is something we have in common.”

Harry sighed. “Come in, I’ll make some tea.”

As Harry placed the kettle to boil, Lily examined her surroundings. Still the same.

“Dad? Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” Lily asked.

“Of course, love. Fire away,” Harry replied absently as he summoned some scones from the pantry and jam. 

“Did you ever know about Great Grandad’s other children?”

Harry stopped what he was doing and looked at her quizzically. “How did you know about that?”

“Oh, I just stumbled upon it. Fleamont Potter has quite a few children besides James, though I think only one of them would have still been alive by then. Last I heard he lives in Australia.” Lily declared casually.

“I’d met him when we’d gone to retrieve your Aunt Hermione’s parents,” Harry replied. “He was nice enough, but there wasn’t that sense of belonging I had with him and his family that I had felt with the Weasleys. We haven’t really spoken since. There was another one too, she was about my father’s age. Her name was Louisa.”

“Did you get to meet her?” Lily asked.

“A few times,” Harry answered. “I even stayed at her flat the summer before my Fifth year. She was barmy, but I liked her well enough.” Harry smiled. “In fact, you remind me of her sometimes. You two look practically identical.”

“Is that so?” Lily laughed. 

“I mean it! It’s uncanny,” Harry replied. “She was close to my godfather, Sirius, and they were both on some secret mission for the Order though neither of them got a chance to tell me what it was.”

Lily bit her lip. She took a deep breath. “Dad, do you know what a Horcrux is?”

When Lily finished her brief and vague summary of Voldemort’s Horcruxes and how they were destroyed, Harry stared at her dumbfounded. 

“So, it was you,” Harry said in astonishment. “I...how?”

“I’ve always drifted in and out of time. It’s my burden to bear. But this was the only time I meddled in one of my episodes. In my original timeline, you- and Uncle Ron as Aunt Hermione, destroyed them. What happened instead?” 

Harry blinked. He took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt, thinking. “During the war, we were on the run. We were almost taken by the Snatchers, but we escaped. After Dumbledore’s death, we were supposed to find the Elder wand before Voldemort, even though he’d conveniently forgotten to mention it was with him the whole time.”

“That sounds like Albus,” Lily replied. She furrowed her brows. “When did Dumbledore die?”

“End of my Sixth year, when the Death Eaters infiltrated.”

Lily’s eyes widened. She had forgotten to destroy the Vanishing cabinet. Snape had to murder Albus in cold blood this time around. No mercy killing to justify his cover.

“It’s my fault.” Lily murmured. 

“There’s nothing you could have done,” Harry said reassuringly.

“I could have warned him, and Sirius. I didn’t have enough time…” Lily babbled, shaking.

Harry frowned. “But you can’t, can you? Isn’t that against the rules?”

Lily wiped her tears. “Rules are meant to be broken aren’t they?” She asked weakly. “Not that it matters. It didn’t help with Jamie either.”

“Jamie? What do you have to warn Jamie about?” Harry asked.

“It’s not important. But, what happened with the Radio Interloper fiasco? I hope that didn’t cause any bad press for your parents.”

“No, once the Death Eater trials commenced after the war, no one could ever find any ties to my dad. They did find a cache of old spyware hidden in Malfoy manor, which explains how he got his intelligence. Really high tech stuff, mixture of magic and Muggle tech. I can see where our Jamie gets his knack for tinkering,” Harry chuckled. “Must have been quite the operation installing it.”

“Even with an Invisibility cloak,” Lily added.

“So, all those stories you told me about my dad...were they true?” Harry asked.

Lily nodded. “Every single one.”

* * *

Yaxley landed with a thud. He groaned as he took in his surroundings. He was once again at the remains of the potion depot they used as rendezvous point. He used to have frequent meetings with the go betweens to plan raids and move potions to different troops when they needed them. Pain potion had become as valuable as Veritaserum.

He wished he had some pain potion now. Yaxley groaned. He hoped that his exercises with his Lord has helped him master his mind, and ultimately control his episodes. He needed to in order to destroy that woman, their future depended on it. 

Yaxley strode out the shack and made his way to the newsstand across from the chip shop. He grabbed a newspaper and read the date. It didn’t seem right, but this is where the ritual said she would be. Now he needed to track her down and kill her before she went back to the past. With Wormtail’s memories and traces of hair left at her flat, he had more than enough to trace her aura.

He tracked her down to an inconspicuous Muggle residential area of London. He knew this place, but wasn’t sure how. Perhaps it was under the Fidelius. No matter, he would wait.

* * *

“I know this is a difficult question to ask, but what happened to Sirius?” 

Harry looked contemplatively at his tea. “We don’t know,” he replied.

“Did he fall through the Veil?” 

“No. Is that what happened before? No, he...disappeared. One moment, he was dueling Bellatrix, the next he vanished. We thought maybe he had escaped, but there was no trace of him. I looked.” Harry’s eyes were glassy. “After a while, we assumed he wasn’t going to be found.”

Lily was confused. How was that possible? “I think I’m going to go get some air,” she declared

“Take a jacket, it’s chilly out,” Harry called back.

Lily took the entrance through the back, ready to calm her nerves with some candy from the nearby shop when she felt a Knockback Jinx hit her straight in the chest. Instantly, she took out her wand and fired a _Protego_ , only for the purple light of a Dark Curse hit her. She screamed as she felt the pain bubble up in her torso and writhed. 

“Dad!” She cried out.

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you, Miss Pruitt.” Yaxley jeered. “I will not show mercy to anyone who tries to help you.”

“How did you get here? No one can travel this far into the future!” Lily gasped as she clutched her side as she felt the blood pooling in her mouth.

“You did, and it seems I did too. Did you think you were the only one who could?” Yaxley asked. 

He leaned toward her, standing over her limp body. “I’ve always had this pesky little problem of floating in and out, but thanks to my Master, I have been able to control when I go and I can use it to my advantage. Can you?” He laughed. 

Lily kicked him forcefully in the shin, and watched as he toppled over. 

“ _Impedimenta_!” She screamed, barely missing him as he rolled over and sent a silent _Bombarda_ her way.

She ducked, watching as it smashed the facade of the doorway to the house. “ _Confrigo_!” She shouted, only to be deflected by the Shield Charm and a now bald crater in her backyard. She grabbed a gnome running through their yard and hurled it towards her attacker, limping away from him. He sent a _Diffendo_ towards her right leg, watching it slice open as she fell to the ground.

Yaxley slowly hovered over her. “Enough. You have fought well, but you will not stop me.”

“If you’re here to stop me from destroying your Lord, you’re too late. I’ve already accomplished that,” Lily gloated, spitting her blood in his face. 

Yaxley calmly wiped it off. “Then I will kill you for my own satisfaction.”

Lily felt time standing still as her body was tingling. She could feel herself slipping back once more…

“Oh, you aren’t getting away so easily…” Yaxley growled as he grabbed onto her. Lily closed her eyes tightly as she slipped away.   
  


* * *

When Lily regained consciousness, she found herself in Albus’s study.

“An unexpected surprise, to be sure. How are you Lulu?” 

Lily lifted herself up abruptly, only to feel the pain run through her body. She yelped.

Albus rushed towards her and gently laid her back down on his divan, lifting what looked like a Blood Replenishing Potion to her lips. He looked decades younger than she had last seen him. He must have been in his fifties.

Albus chuckled. “Oh come now, I can’t be so decrepit that I’ve changed so much since we last saw each other. Granted, I’m not as well preserved as you seem to be.”

“You’re just fishing for compliments Albus,” Lily teased. Her voice sounded hoarse. 

Albus frowned. “Whoever did this to you did quite a bit of damage. I’m not sure if I need to transfer you to the Hospital wing.”

“I’ll be fine,” Lily dismissed. “However, there is someone after me who might pose a danger to society. What year is it?”

Albus looked hesitant. “1952,” he replied.

Lily smiled, “I suppose congratulations are in order then, Headmaster.”

“How did you...of course you knew. Well, thank you. Though I’m not sure it’s deserved.”

“You deserve it more than anyone,” Lily said. 

“They wanted me to run for Minister, you know,” Albus replied morosely. What do I know about running a country? I at least know this school, but do I really deserve this for what I’ve done?” 

Lily lifted herself off the divan and Albus sat next to her. “You’re still thinking about Gellert, aren’t you?”

“Every day.” Albus said, resting his head in his hands. 

Lily gently touched his shoulder. “You did what was right, even if it wasn’t easy. Some people can’t be saved.”

“I let him live, you know,” Albus added. “I couldn’t bear to kill him. The look in his eyes as I took his wand from him...he wasn’t the man I knew. He hadn’t been in a long time.” He sighed. “You were right after all, I should have listened to you about him, but I was foolish.”

“You were in love, no one could fault you for that,” Lily replied gently.

Albus clasped her hand. “But in doing so I helped create a monster.” 

Albus looked contemplative. “If you could go back and save anyone with your gift, would you?” 

Lily shook her head. “It...doesn’t work that way. I’ve tried, and it seems nothing I do makes any meaningful change. I just keep failing.”

Albus nodded. “That, I understand. It might seem like failure, but I wouldn’t look at it that way. Even if you hadn’t accomplished what you wanted to, you accomplished something. I met you. And I’m all the better for our friendship, despite your infrequent visits. How long do you think you will be here?”

“Until I can find the man who is after me,” Lily replied. She bit her lip. “Have you recently had an interview with Tom Riddle? For the Defense job?”

Albus raised an eyebrow. “That is technically classified information; but yes, I spoke to him yesterday. I’m afraid I’m going to have to reject his offer. Are you interested in the position?”

Lily shook her head. “Do you think you could patch me up? I think I have to make a short detour to London.”

* * *

“Why did you call a meeting with a shopkeeper, Mr. Yaxley? I’m sure you could easily conduct your business with Mr. Borgin when he returns.” Tom Riddle said, locking the door of the back room behind him.

An unknown man stepped into the shop looking at him as if he’d known him. Tom wasn’t sure why, but when the man offered him fifty Galleons and the chance to change his life, he readily accepted the request to discuss things privately.

“I don’t want to see him, I want to see you, My Lord.” Yaxley bowed. “I know who you are, and I’m here to lead you to your glorious destiny.”

Tom smiled. All his plans did come to fruition after all. “Arise, Mr. Yaxley, I see you are a faithful servant. What is your purpose here?”

“I am to help you gather your army, and help strengthen your position in Britain. In my time you were able to gain great power by the next twenty years. With my help, we can cut that down by a decade.”

“That is a bold proposition, but I’m interested.” Riddle replied, trying to hide his eagerness.

“But I’m also here to correct any flaws in your strategy. In order to gain true power, My Lord, you must destroy your Horcruxes.”

Riddle’s red eyes flashed in fury. “How did you know about that? How dare you ask that of me.”

Yaxley stood firm. “You told me of them yourself, I am here to help you. I’m from a future, your future. Now, if you listen to me…”

“I think I’ve heard enough,” Riddle snapped. He lifted his wand and locked the door. “I’m afraid I can’t let you go Mr. Yaxley, if that is your name. _Avada Kedavra_.”

Yaxley’s body fell with a thud, crumpling on the floor.

“It’s a pity I hadn’t met you sooner, you would have been perfect for my diadem.” Riddle murmured. 

Yaxley’s lifeless body began to dissolve into nothingness

* * *

Lily apparated to Knockturn Alley, ready for confront Yaxley and Voldemort. Instead, she found Tom Riddle hastily closing shop.

“Closing so soon?” Lily asked, causing the future Dark Lord to jump. 

“Yes,” he replied casually, “Slow day for business, I’m afraid.”

“I was looking for a man who might have stopped by earlier- tall, blonde, broad-shouldered looking fellow? Had you seen him?” Lily asked.

Tom’s face was impassive. “He stopped by, but I’m afraid he didn’t find what he was after. I wouldn’t go looking for him if I were you.”

Voldemort it seems, was never one for subtlety.

“Well, thanks anyway. I’ll be on my way then.”

“Do I know you from somewhere?” Tom asked.

“We went to school together. Louisa Pruitt? I was a year behind you in Ravenclaw.”

Tom seethed. “Yes, I remember, the exchange student. You had to take a leave of absence halfway through.”

Even then, Lily still couldn’t do much to prevent the Chamber of Secrets fiasco, but she had certainly made sure it wasn’t worse.

“You’ve aged terribly.” He remarked.

“Thank you, Tom. I see you’ve dropped the Head Boy facade haven’t you?”

“We aren’t in school anymore. That also means I’m not concerned about you reporting me to the Headmaster.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Wonderful. Thanks for catching up, I best be off.” 

“Yes, quite.” Tom scowled. “If you would, please leave. I think we’ve had enough time to reminisce for now.”

Lily took the hint before Tom could act on his impulses. “We’ll meet again,” she said.

It seemed that things would progress as they would before. 

* * *

Lily nervously walked into the Hog’s Head. There was still one more person she wanted to see.

“Aberforth.”

The barkeep looked up from behind the counter. “Lulu? It’s been a while. Are you here for your old job?”

“Depends. How much are you paying?”

“Same rate my mother did.”

Lily laughed. “You drive a hard bargain, but I think I’ll have to pass.”

“What brings you here then?” Aberforth asked, discarding his dishrag. 

“Thought we could have a chat. I don’t think anyone’s coming in until the dinner rush.” Lily looked around at the empty pub. 

“Fine. Let’s go out around the back.”

They headed towards the back of the pub, and stopped by the big oak tree next to the goat pen.

“Still maintaining that bezoar farm I see?” Lily noticed.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Aberforth said. “It’s a criminal offense artificially charming them. But the lasses don’t seem to mind too much.”

“Well, you don’t seem to mind much either. Hogsmeade certainly suits you.”

“I certainly made a name for myself here, hardly anyone knows who I am,” Aberforth chuckled. “And I like it that way. I have my regulars, and they don’t really ask questions.”

Lily grinned. “You don’t get into mischief anymore do you? I remember you used to drive Kendra insane with your antics. Like that one time, when you snuck Ariana out of the house and took her flying?”

“Mother was livid,” Aberforth laughed. “And if I recall, you helped us, so I think the blame shouldn’t rest on me.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny,” Lily said, laughing with him. They rested under the tree in a comfortable silence.

“You know, I saw you earlier this week. You were much older.” Aberforth noted.

“Did you?” Lily asked, surprised. “I came here entirely by accident.”

“You mentioned that, for what it’s worth, she says you learn to control it, eventually. It has something to do with visualizing where you want to be. And that you weren’t alone, whatever that means.”

“Of course not! I have you, don’t I?” Lily teased.

“Perhaps, though I think it’s for the best I only have to see you in small doses. It would be tiring having you travel in and out of my life on a daily basis.” Aberforth huffed.

“Oh, you know you love me.” 

Aberforth gave her a wan smile. “How much time do you have left?”

“Not sure. Usually I feel when I phase out, but that hasn’t happened yet. Maybe I can try jumpstarting it on my own?”

“Why don’t you try later? There’s a portrait upstairs I want you to see first.”

* * *

When Lily returned to her own time, she found herself two minutes after her encounter with Yaxley. Lily lifted the collar of her coat as the felt the raindrops fall on her head, and took in her surroundings. She was back in her yard, the signs of her altercation still visible. Quickly, she waved her wand and fixed the damage before heading inside.

She found her father sitting at the kitchen table talking to a man who’s back was turned to her. She could tell from his build and his long black hair it was him, but how could it be? Hesitantly, Lily lifted her wand, ready to strike if she needed to.

“Lulu dear, I believe we have a guest.” Harry said, looking rather pleased with himself.

“Who is it?” She asked. 

Sirius turned around. “Come on Lou, has it been that long that you’ve already forgotten me?”

Lily gasped and flung her arms around Sirius. “It is you! How?” 

“Haven’t the foggiest.” Sirius exclaimed. “One minute, I was thinking about how I had to protect Harry, the next I was thinking that this was the end. I must have been a bit out of sorts, being in the middle of a battle and all that, and the next thing I knew, I was here.”

“It happens, sometimes when I’m stressed or anxious, if I’m thinking of something, or someone, I phase to meet them. That’s what happened when I came back, I...was thinking of you.” Lily admitted, sheepishly. Sirius raised his eyebrows, and grinned. Lily scoffed. “Not like that.” 

“You must have been transported because you were so focused on Harry, but why this time?” Lily muttered.

“I...might have been thinking about you too, not too much, mind you. It’s just, you mentioned that you worked at the Department of Mysteries, I was there. It was a coincidence.” Sirius dismissed nervously. 

“That explains it, you phased to a time that Dad and I would both be together, it just happened to be the version of myself you last remembered, which would be now. In 2043.”

Sirius was still. He let go of Lily and sat down, his hands shaking. “Is that where we are?”

“Yes,” Harry confirmed. “I could show you today’s issue of the Prophet if it would help.”

Sirius reared his head on the table. “No, I think confirming it’s real would only make it worse. What am I doing here? Is anyone I know still alive anymore?”

Harry looked at his daughter nervously. “Besides us, you mean?”

Sirius glanced back at Harry. “I am glad to see you, of course. I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better godfather when you needed me.”

“Nonsense, you were wonderful. And looking back, I understand why you weren’t there when I used the Resurrection Stone.” Harry remarked.

“The what?”

“Oh yes, there’s quite a lot I need to fill you in on. Maybe you’d like to help Lulu? I think I need to call your mum, and maybe Ron and Hermione too.” Harry hastily hurried out of the kitchen, leaving the two of them alone. 

Lily stood in the middle of the room, awkwardly shifting her weight, not looking at Sirius as he sat with his head still on the table, not looking at her.

“I’m still angry at you, you know.” Sirius remarked casually. 

“I’m sorry. You have every right to be angry, and I can’t take back the times I lied to you,” Lily muttered. 

“It’s not just that you lied to me, it’s that you didn’t trust me.” Sirius replied.

“I know. And I could come up with excuses, but none of them sound very good. But, I still love you Sirius and I hope we can still be friends. I want to give you a reason to trust me again.” She walked over to him, and ran her hand through his hair. Sirius grabbed her hand, caressing her hand and kissing it.

“I’d like that.” Sirius said huskily. “I missed you every day you were gone.”

“I missed you too. But I know you also might want to see your friends back home,” Lily replied. “If you’d like, I can help you get back.”

“Get back to what? It seems Harry is fine without me. So is Remus, I’m sure of it. Maybe there’s nothing left for me back there.”

Lily perked up. “I could help you start over.”

“Starting over might be nice. Though I’m not sure how I’d account for my lack of wrinkles.” Sirius joked.

“You’d have to completely start over, legally you’ve been dead for decades. Maybe you could be your grandson?” Lily offered.

Sirius gave a bark of laughter. “Imagine that, my own grandson.” Sirius paused, his face sobering up. “To think, I wasted twelve years of my life when all this time I could have used time travel.”

“I’m not sure how you are able to phase now,” Lily remarked. “I always could, but it seems like a recent ability you’ve tapped into. Perhaps it was dormant, and you psychologically manifested it? Or maybe you’ve gained it through frequent exposure to me? That seems less likely.”

“I wouldn’t know, you’re the expert on these things.” Sirius snorted. “Any advice, by the way, on learning to adjust to another time?”

“No idea,” Lily replied. “I’ve never seemed to stay in one place before.”

Harry walked back into the kitchen, looking relieved. “Well, I talked to Hermione and we might have a solution. I’m not keen on ignoring the protocols for someone I know, especially for something this...unprecedented, but if you do decide to stay here Sirius, we will try to work something out for you.”

“Brilliant.” Sirius replied. “I guess that’s one thing sorted out.”

“And another thing,” Harry added, “This is your house Sirius, if you’d like it back at anytime just say the word.”

Sirius looked around. “You’ve really fixed it up, great job. But all the same, no thanks. I never want to step foot in this house ever again if I can help it.”

“Pity, Ginny and I would love to have you over for Sunday dinner.”

Sirius quirked his brow. “Ginny, eh? I never would have guessed.”

“You should have,” Lily interrupted, nudging Sirius. “It was pretty obvious.”

“Excuse me, we can’t all use our future knowledge to our advantage.” Sirius teased.

“I don’t do that all the time,” Lily pouted. “And I am sorry about before.”

“How will you make it up to me, Lily?” Sirius asked, smiling despite himself.

“I can take you hunting for a new flat? You’re broke now, so you’ll need options.” Lily said playfully.

“What? I can’t live off you and your trust fund?”

“No, I’m afraid you’ll have to make it worth my while first.”

Sirius kissed Lily, and she felt the rush of warmth as she fell completely breathless.

“How was that?” Sirius asked.

Lily blinked. “A good start, but I think I need more convincing.”

“I’ll leave you two alone then,” Harry interjected, “I need to be anywhere else but here. This was weird enough when I was fifteen.”

Lily laughed as Sirius waved him goodbye, wrapping his arm around Lily’s waist. Harry shook his head and chuckled. 

“Now, where were we?” Sirius asked.

Lily wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She leaned in, their foreheads touching. “Allow me to refresh your memory. 

And with that, she kissed him.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this series. It’s been along road since I started this story in January, and admittedly a lot has happened in the world. I’m glad you’ve stuck by this story despite my writers block.


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